Unofficial results of West Kelowna petition

Future Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant (RVWTP) users indicated to the City of West Kelowna their preference for long-term borrowing to design, build and finance the plant when it goes into operation in 2022.

Unofficial results indicate that less than 250 petition-against forms out of the 8,267 properties in the local area service were submitted to City Hall prior to the 4 p.m. deadline today. Official results will be provided at a regular Council meeting later this month outlining next steps.

The Council Initiative – Subject to Petition Against is a legislative process that occurred until 4 p.m. on Oct. 2 to determine if more than 50 per cent of local area service property owners representing more than 50 per cent of the assessed value opposed the recommended long term borrowing model.

During COVID-19, this mail-in process was used to provide the opportunity for future plant users to sign and submit a petition-against form objecting to the recommended long-term borrowing solution. The City mailed 8,267 petition-against packages to property owners in early of September. Those who agreed with the long-term borrowing model were not required to take any action and staff would contact property owners in 2022 with further information about parcel tax transition, payment options and other details.

If adopted, the increase to RVWTP users will be $34. Property owners currently pay $116 per year for the plant today. In 2022, the total of $150 will be shifted from water bills onto a parcel tax, which allows some residents to defer their taxes. If residents prefer to pay a lump sum instead of long-term borrowing, they can pay a one-time payment of $2,815 in 2022.

Visit westkelownacity.ca/rvwtp for more information and subscribe to receive project updates.