12 candidates to choose from in second Penticton byelection this year

The nomination period for the Penticton city council byelection has ended and residents will be heading to the polls to pick a new city councillor next month.

There are 12 candidates vying to replace Helena Konanz on city council. She ran for the Conservative party in the recent federal election and was elected as the MP for the riding of Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay.

The candidates are John Archer, Aaron Baisarowicz, Juliana Buitenhuis, Darcy Derbyshire, Wayne Llewellyn, Ankit Sachdeva, Jordan Shade, Philip Solman, Shannon Stewart, Nick Stulberg, Jason Town and Janine Walker.

The nomination deadline was July 18. Advance voting is Wednesday, Aug. 13 and Thursday, Aug. 14 with general voting day Saturday, Aug. 23.

This is the second city council byelection this year after Amelia Boultbee was elected as the MLA for the riding of Penticton-Summerland. She was replaced on council by Jason Reynen after he won a byelection in April by more than 1,000 votes.

Councillor James Miller is still absent from city hall on paid leave as he deals with decades old sex crime charges linked to his time as a basketball coach in Sarnia, Ont.

Meanwhile, the regional district has launched an alternative approval process for a plan to borrow $10 million for a new Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen building at 3547 Skaha Lake Road.

The loan could be denied if 10 per cent of eligible voters, or 7,528, submit an elector response form denying the loan by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 31. Forms can be filled out online or in person, and the loan would add $6 to property taxes for properties assessed at $500,000.

The district said building a new space would likely cost more than $20 million and the Skaha Lake Road property would allow the district to move three spaces into one building.

The new building would include the regional district Emergency Operations Centre and a dedicated space for board and committee meetings.