Kelowna’s new mayor, council sworn in

It’s time for Kelowna’s mayor and council to get to work.

The slate of new and returning lawmakers were sworn in at the Kelowna Community Theatre Monday evening following the Oct. 15 election.

The night was brief but symbolic, with the new mayor and council reciting the oath of office before handing out gifts to outgoing councillors.

Mayor Tom Dyas said he and his colleagues are eager to face the challenges that lie ahead.

“The most important steps for us next are to now look at getting together and going through the strategic planning process so that we establish our joint priorities that we all agree upon,” Dyas told the media after the ceremony.

He admits there will be no simple fixes to the headwinds facing Kelowna, be it homelessness, crime, affordability, traffic, and transparency.

The mayor said he has worked to meet with each member of council, eager to get a sense of where their head is at and what their priorities for the term will be. He said there are many common concerns and items on everyone’s mind.

“Will there be debates and discussion, I sure hope so. I think that is healthy. Because there are different opinions,” he said. “And different individuals have different ideas. It is my hope that there is debate and they bring forward points that potentially, maybe other councillors have maybe not thought of to address some of the situations.”

Dyas soared to victory over two-term incumbent Colin Basran, winning with over 60 per cent of the vote.

The council table has welcomed three new faces: Ron Cannan, Rick Webber, and Gord Lovegrove.

Returning to city hall is Loyal Wooldridge, Maxime DeHart, Mohini Singh, Luke Stack, and Charlie Hodge.

Council will meet for its first meeting on Nov. 14.