PETERS: In the Kamloops council vote, ‘no incumbents’ is too simple

To take it one step further, we should be wary of anyone using a reductive approach to the upcoming municipal election.

That includes everyone who believes improving our city council’s performance is as simple as voting out every incumbent.

The chorus for no incumbents has crescendoed in recent months but, again, it’s just not that simple and clear cut.

Voters are absolutely welcome to show their displeasure at this chaotic term by voting for an entirely new set of councillors and a new mayor.

In almost every successful job hire, though, experience is considered an asset. Hiring an inexperienced applicant is a crapshoot.

The best case scenario for a brand spanking new council would include a steep learning curve. Starting fresh means wiping the slate clean of previous relationships and progress on important files.

The worst case scenario is voters elect a set of nine people way out of their depth, stumbling over each other in doomed efforts to enact their individual campaign planks.

We don’t have to look back very far to see this principle played out.

In 2022, a plurality of voters rejected four candidates for mayor who had experience on Kamloops council, choosing the one who did not.

The winner’s inexperience in elected office proved to be a major detriment throughout his ill-fated term at the head of the table.

While it’s true Kamloops council could probably benefit from a refresh, it’s probably best to retain some measure of institutional memory if we wish to avoid a replay of the past four years.

“Vote the bums out” might sound well and good but a local election, like life itself, is never that simple.

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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.

by James Peters

PETERS: In the Kamloops council vote, ‘no incumbents’ is too simple

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