New Kelowna mayor says council plans to take on ‘significant’ new challenges

Kelowna’s new council will use honesty and innovation as it takes on the “significant” challenges facing the city, said Mayor Tom Dyas said at Monday night’s inaugural meeting.

The meeting and swearing-in ceremony were held at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, where newly elected Dyas and eight councillors, three of whom are new to the job, embarked on four years in public office.

2:18 Kelowna mayor-elect Tom Dyas has big job ahead tackling major issues

Dyas, who unseated former mayor Colin Basran, said that the new council is already putting together an action plan with tangible and concrete steps for high-priority issues.

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“The challenges before this council are not small, and the tasks that residents have assigned us are significant,” Dyas said.

“It won’t be easy and we know we will never make all residents happy. But my goal over the next four years is to do what I said I would: To be honest with residents, and to show you that politicians can listen and come up with new ideas.”

He said the new council is filled with intelligent people and they will be measuring their work toward shared goals.

“We will be courageous, innovative, honest, responsible, transparent, and have the strength, courage and communication,” Dyas said.

The mayor said in a previous interview he knows he has his work cut out for him, as residents want to see action on a number of issues, including crime, homelessness, housing affordability and traffic gridlock.

2:38 Tom Dyas promises more mental health resources for Kelowna RCMP if elected

Dyas came out on top in Kelowna’s polls during B.C.’s civic elections on Oct. 15. He had more than double the votes of his next-closest opponent, incumbent mayor Colin Basran, who was seeking a third term.

Dyas will be joined at the council table by incumbent counsellors Loyal Wooldridge, Mohini Singh, Luke Stack, Charlie Hodge and Maxine Dehart. New to the table are Rick Webber, Ron Cannan and Gord Lovegrove.