West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom is loaning up to $ 11 million for the city’s first town hall.
Photo credit: SUBMITTED / Facebook
October 05, 2020 – 5.30 p.m.
Citing a strong financial position despite COVID-19, West Kelowna City Council will complete its efforts to build the city’s first town hall.
Since residents of West Kelowna rejected the project in a 2016 referendum, the city has allocated $ 700,000 a year to cover the cost of the building.
In February, the council passed the first three readings of a statute that would allow it to borrow up to $ 11 million for the project without another referendum. Staff will recommend final adoption tomorrow, October 6, at a special session of the Council, even if it is not on the agenda posted online.
READ MORE: West Kelowna Revives $ 18 Million City Hall Plan – With No Voters
“The town hall project continued to have a low priority during COVID-19 to ensure staff continued to focus on the Rose Valley water treatment plant,” said an update on the city’s website. “Despite the impact of COVID-19, the city, with its revenues, reserves and development costs, remains on a strong financial foundation to fuel long-overdue infrastructure across the city.”
Around the same time, an online petition called for the project to be killed. It was due to be delivered to the town hall in June and will show 320 signed shows as of today.
READ MORE: West Kelowna parked its plans for a new town hall before the online petition started
The City Hall reserve fund is expected to reach $ 7 million by 2022 when the city’s first City Hall opens.
When combined with the $ 11 million loan, the project could cost $ 18 million.
There will be no tax increase due to the new borrowing as the existing annual contribution of $ 700,000 will be used to repay the loan.
Once the loan is secured, the design work can begin. The city is already looking for land, likely either in the West Bank or on the mountain. Boucherie town center.
It is also noted that if 14 people had voted differently in the 2016 referendum, a new town hall would have opened in the meantime.
READ MORE: Referendum results were confirmed in the vote at West Kelowna City Hall
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