I know you aren’t ready for this, because it really isn’t the season to start talking about local elections. But, in a sense, it is the season because in many instances, people need to give things more thought than some might expect.
The issue I would like you to think about is who you would like to manage your affairs of local government for the next four years.
Local government really boils down to the management and operation of the local things that we own in common, that we are all part of, but which need to be cared for by some of us. It’s quite a bit like family affairs, just a bigger family. Many of the things are necessities, like streets, water and sewer systems. Others are recreational. Others, very importantly, are education facilities, our schools. In our rural area, someone has to manage the mosquito control program, the Nicholson Fire Department and a host of other things. Several facilities are jointly managed by both the town and the rural area. Some of these are the library, the arena, the curling rink and the landfill.
The reason I bring this up is that this is an election year. There won’t be another one until 2030, four years down the line. So if you ever thought of getting involved in local government, now may be the time. Or, you may already be involved, in which case your decision is whether to continue your involvement by running for office again.
There are three areas of involvement. The Town of Golden has the mayor and six councillor positions, the school district has three school board trustee positions, and the regional district has one director position. All three are important. All three fulfill needs within the community, which require careful management.
Operationally, the town’s functions are all located within the town. The town’s administration offices are here in Golden. Council meetings are held here, and the town administers all local government functions within the town.
The school trustee positions form part of the Rocky Mountain School District board, with responsibility for all school activities from the Golden area through the Windermere valley and on to the Kimberley area.
The rural area around Golden forms Electoral Area ‘A’ of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, along with the municipalities of Golden, Revelstoke, Sicamous, Salmon Arm and several other electoral areas.
The elected positions are all paid positions, and do vary from one board or council to another. As of 2024, the Mayor of Golden is paid $30,262 plus expenses, whereas the councillors are paid $16,966, and the Town of Golden representative on the regional district board is paid an additional $18,852. This person is chosen from Mayor and Council; currently, the representative is the mayor. School board trustees are paid $15,541 (2024/2025 school year), and the regional district directors for electoral areas are paid $28,905 per year. Approved expenses are in addition to these salary amounts.
Most of the consideration that people put into the decision as to whether they would consider becoming involved likely has to do with the issues that interest them, either ones that are already being administered by the respective board or council, or perhaps new ones that have never been taken on by any of the elected bodies. Some of those issues might be very small, others may be very large.
In my personal observation over the last fifty years, one of the largest projects ever taken on by a Town of Golden councillor was the successful attraction of the CP Railway Depot, which former Alderman Fred Demmon quarterbacked for two or three years, before it was built on the south side of town. The late alderman (the previous title of the present councillor position) would not have counted the hours he worked because there were so many, but his efforts resulted in a tremendous project being built in our town and providing a large number of jobs since 1986.
Several school trustees worked on the replacement of Golden Secondary School in 1990, part of which remains and is the present campus of the College of the Rockies here in Golden. Regional district projects in our area include Whitetooth Ski Hill, now Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, the Nicholson Fire Department, and the removal of over 8,000 acres from the Agricultural Land Reserve
around Golden and a smaller project, but an important one, rural house numbering, which is a constant help to first responders to emergencies, as well as everyday use by many visitors.
While this is a partial list of what has been done by local government in this area, it may give you an idea of the kinds of things that can be done through local government.
And who should run to be involved with this part of our community?
Perhaps you.
I would assume that, in order to run, someone would have to be the age for voter eligibility, as far as a minimum age is concerned, but there is no maximum. I was thirty-one when I was first elected as regional district director, and I’m quite sure that some people have been over eighty while on some boards or councils.
The next election is in November of this year, so you have time to give it some thought. But let me commend you to this challenge if you have any interest. None of these positions is a position of honour; they are positions of contribution, and the contributions can be of significance to our community for many decades, perhaps for you, or your children and grandchildren.
The regional district is doing an innovative thing in conjunction with its election process. They are conducting a ‘pre-candidate information session’ on the 12th and 13th of August, which is designed to give people information on that level of local government, which will perhaps assist individuals who may be considering running in its election. Nominations close on September 11, 2026.
So please give it some thought. There may well be some projects that only you can accomplish. And if not you, then who?
