Referendum recommended for future of Shuswap communities

“This has been an enormous job under very challenging circumstances,” said Electoral Area C Director Paul Demenok, who was a non-voting member of the Incorporation Study Advisory Committee. “The community wants to vote on this, as well they should. It’s time to vote on going forward.”

All eligible voters living within the proposed new municipal boundaries will be able to vote to determine whether the area should incorporate or not.

Should a majority of voters support the option of incorporation, the proposed areas of Sorrento and Blind Bay would become a municipality with its own local government separate from the CSRD. This new municipality would then appoint one representative to sit on the CSRD board. The vote on a new municipal mayor and council would likely take place as part of the civic elections scheduled for October 15, 2022.

If the voters decide against incorporation, Electoral Area C will be divided into two smaller areas, each with their own elected director on the CSRD board. Adding an additional director will create a more equal distribution of elected representation across the region.

All information on the proposed incorporation is available on the Sorrento-Blind Bay Incorporation Study page of the CSRD website. This includes a review of all current government services and topics such as roads and policing. A draft budget for a new municipality has also been prepared to give voters an idea of the implications to their property taxes.

Additional information about the referendum date and voting options, including mail-in ballots, will be posted once available.

by Pete McIntyre

Referendum recommended for future of Shuswap communities

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