Election coundown

We are closing in on the sixmonth countdown to the next municipal election and there has yet to be a lot of exciting new names floating around.

As the summer draws nearer, announcements will start trickling in and chances are we’ll see 25 people run for council in Penticton, 15 in Summerland and closer to 40 in Kelowna.

If you’re interested in being a candidate, read on.

The first thing to do is call a private meeting of a half-dozen or so people who might be willing to support you. Discuss your platform and see if there’s enough interest. If you run for office, book off one month of your life for campaigning which includes meetings, door knocking, and replying to constant emails from media and voters.

For potential candidates, an understanding of the Municipal Act is a necessity. As well, attendance at least a half-dozen council and committee meetings before handing in nomination papers should be mandatory.

If you can’t stand sitting through a meeting as an observer, you won’t enjoy it as a participant.

It’s also a good idea to review an agenda package. Pick one in random. They are usually posted online three days prior to a meeting. That’s the homework you will be required to do on a regular basis if elected.

Don’t think you’ll necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get elected. In Kelowna, the average council candidate spends about $4,000, but some have spent far more and not come close to getting elected.

And conversely, long-term city councillor Robert Hobson always spent next to nothing on his campaigns, aside from apples he’d distribute at election forums, and he always placed near the top of the polls.

The backing of a well-connected, influential lobby group can help. In Kelowna’s two previous elections, a pro-business campaign group helped get many of its preferred candidates elected. But, new municipal election rules, passed by the NDP, could greatly limit the spending power of such interest groups.

For the voter, if you want a decent council you too need to follow what’s going on. Don’t rely on who has the best lawn signs. Read the newspaper, watch a meeting in person or online, speak with your neighbours, and take note of who is attending special events within the community.

One final thing the voter should beware. Social media geniuses seldom make good councillors because they confuse entertainment with civic management.