Council has taken its advocacy for Penticton to three conferences so far this year, focusing on ways to support growth without relying on property taxes, the need for complex care and unlocking housing.
Mayor Julius Bloomfield and Councillors Helena Konanz and Ryan Graham attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference recently in Calgary.
“This was an opportunity to be part of the discussion on how municipal governments are going to fund growth, as the old system of property taxes is clearly reaching its breaking point and senior levels of government need to help cover the cost of replacing aging infrastructure,“ says Bloomfield. “We were also able to attend sessions on sustainable land use planning, innovative models of mental health crisis response and the use of artificial intelligence in coming to data-driven decisions.”
Speakers included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser.
The estimated cost of the trip, including two staff members, was $13,000.
Earlier this spring, six members of council attended the annual Southern Interior Local Government Association meeting in Kamloops.
At that meeting, two motions from Penticton – the need for improved complex care and improvement to forestry roads that act as emergency routes – were endorsed. The two motions will now be heard at the UBCM meeting this fall.
The estimated cost of that trip, also including two staff - was $9,000
And six council members took part in the UBCM housing forum in the spring, where the implementation of new provincially-imposed regulations and the changes to vacation rental units were key topics of discussion.
The estimated cost of that, supported by two staff, was $8,000
Conference attendance expenses are budgeted for in the Mayor and Council Operating budget, which is included in the 2024 Financial Plan.
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