(Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: City should turn down adding another regional district director

Oct 5, 2022 | 4:47 AM

HOW MANY DIRECTORS does the City of Kamloops need on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) board?

The City currently has six on the 26-member board and will soon have seven of 27 if a scheduled addition takes place. That’s because the city’s population has just barely crept over the provincially legislated population threshold for another director.

When it comes to a decision, it’s a discussion I won’t be involved in at the TNRD because it won’t happen until after the election and I’m not running again, so I’m able to comment on it in this space. Outgoing councillor Denis Walsh is presenting a notice of motion against adding a seventh City director for the new council to consider.

Walsh believes the council already has enough regional district representatives. It’s arguable that the City already has too many. However, he’s certainly correct that Kamloops shouldn’t add another one.

Two and Out

PETERS: Paying attention is half the battle

Jan 17, 2025

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: 4 ways to take ownership of our food system this new year

Jan 17, 2025

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: January 16, 2025

Jan 16, 2025

The process to forestall that from happening is legally and politically complicated but could be done with co-operation between the council and the TNRD.

The City of Kamloops is the only member body of the TNRD that has more than one director. All other municipalities, and all the electoral areas, send a single rep to the regional district.

That gives the City a disproportionate amount of influence on regional government. As Walsh says, adding yet another one would amount to little more than an extra cost to taxpayers, who pay TNRD councillors an extra $15,000 plus committee stipends and expenses on top of their $41,000 regular pay and expenses.

Not to mention that it would bloat an already big regional board.

While City taxpayers do pay the biggest share of the TNRD budget, they already have more than adequate representation on the regional district to defend the City’s interests, holding a majority weighted vote on financial matters.

It would be counter-productive and pointless for its role there to become even more dominant.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

—

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.