Regional district plan to spend $3.5M on waterfront property in South Okanagan fails
The bid for taxation approval to purchase Skaha Lake shoreline near Kaleden concluded yesterday with a negative response for an alternative approval process.
The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen said in a press release issued today, Feb. 9, that 805 of a possible 1,820 electors submitted response forms in opposition to a proposed initiative for Kaleden taxpayers to fund up to $3.5 million towards purchase of Sickle Point, a five-acre waterfront property located along the Kaleden waterfront on Skaha Lake.
The alternate approval process required 10 per cent of eligible voters to oppose the taxation initiative, or 182 electors.
A local citizen’s group Save Sickle Point Committee had recently announced a conditional offer of $2.5 million had been accepted to purchase the controversial, 4.6 acre property. The group was fundraising and were hoping only about one million of the purchase price would need to be taxpayer-funded.
Kaleden regional district director Subrina Montieth said a staff report will be presented at the next board meeting.
“Based on the response from the community through the AAP, I don’t expect a referendum will be the next step right now,” she said.
Montieth said it’s likely the borrowing bylaw will be rescinded at that time.
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