Tip #8 Managing Differences & Disagreements

You won’t always get the results you want no matter how correct you believe your position is. Decisions are made through majority votes. Continued re-litigation of an outcome or residual hard feelings because things didn’t go your way can be corrosive both to overall effective governance and yourself as well.

Are you committed to professional governance that reflects Respect & Dignity, Leadership & Collaboration, Integrity & Accountability and appropriate Confidentiality?

Besides just stating “of course I will” during a campaign, you’ll have to formally attest to ethical standards, legal obligations and expectations of professional behavior as a formal part of taking office. The provincial government is amending the Community Charter to transition to a mandatory, provincewide code of conduct for all local government elected officials in alignment with our upcoming October elections.  While exact details are yet to be announced, the new code is intended to address issues such as bullying, meeting disruptions, marginalization of members, conflict of interest violations, and staff mistreatment. It’s so appalling it’s come to this in too many other jurisdictions. Stay tuned!

FTR: Salmon Arm has had our own locally developed Code based on best practices for the past 4 years as well as a respectful elected table committed to individual responsible behaviour. It works if elected officials are committed to making things work.

Are you genuinely committed to the best practices of professional governance? You’re going to have to formally swear to that to actually take office!

Tip #6(C) Getting Down to Brass Tacks about Property Taxes A handy metric…

… for estimating the impact of tax changes. A 1% change to the #SalmonArm property taxation rate for all tax classes equals ~ $250K in revenues. That’s it!

As per Tip 6(a), property taxes are the main source of #SalmonArm revenues. Here’re a few ways this metric is handy if you’re considering running for local government this fall.

Infrastructure, equipment and services are increasingly expensive.

There are many things that a city regularly needs: new equipment (a new fire truck costs well over $500K), annual paving is well over a million dollars, protective services is the largest budget function, principal & interest borrowed for initiatives are paid back annually and the list goes on & on. Plus, the annual rate of inflation for city goods and services is much higher than the inflation rate for regular folks based on what’s in our basket of required services.

The city does save over time for big spends by judiciously putting funds into reserve but there are many immediate and necessary demands that require more immediate annual funding.

If you’re campaigning on increasing services for initiatives, this 1% tax increase equals $250K of revenue factor is a great estimate for impacts on property taxation. If you’re promoting a tax cutting agenda, it’s also helpful in determining the impact of your proposed cuts.

Voters deserve the answers to your budgetary proposals

Tip 6(b) Here’re the budget functions that #SalmonArm taxation funds. If you’re running for council, you need to understand (& have a stance on) these allocations. In general, there’s a continuous call from the public to spend *more* in all the major functions. You’ll be adopting the 2027 budget shortly after you get elected. Chart is from this current budget year. The relative ratios stay fairly consistent year-to-year.

Tip #6a If it’s not in the #SalmonArm annual budget it doesn’t get done! There’s a very long list of competing, important & costly civic needs. All of which are mainly funded by property taxation and constrained by what property owners can reasonably handle. If elected, you’ll be making these decisions shortly after starting your term. It’s a multi-year learning process to be sure but you’ll need to be ready right from the get-go. *Considering running in our local election*

Tip #5 Recognize the pros/cons & personal tradeoffs of being an elected local govt official – if you’re thinking of running in #SalmonArm ’s local election this fall *This 2025 graphic from Taber sums it up nicely

Tip #4 It’s a very good thing to be familiar with the 2025 Annual Report if you’re thinking of running in #SalmonArm ’s local government election this fall The AR summarizes Core Services & key Financial Reports all in one spot https://pub-salmonarm.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx…

Thinking of running in #SalmonArm ’s local government election this fall? Here’s Tip #3 Candidates are responsible to know and follow the election rules. Here’s the provincial link (see below) to prescribed timelines, nominations & guides from advertising to financial disclosures … and everything in between. https://elections.bc.ca/loc…/2026-general-local-elections/

Read Read & Read even more: Tip #2 about running in #SalmonArm’s local election this fall: Being an effective council member involves having a handle on a wide range of background materials. Now’s the time to start reading agendas & understanding staff reports. From policing to parks to policy (of all sorts), there’s lots to digest. Here’s the city’s 2025 Annual Report. Understanding this annual summary report is a start in being an effective elected official. https://www.salmonarm.ca/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1287

Some tips (#1) about running in #SalmonArm ‘s local election this fall: Realistically consider the time commitments involved! There’re many more time demands than four meetings per month! If you have a fair degree of control & flexibility over your own schedule, you’re likely good to go. However, if your personal responsibilities involve set expectations of your time by others, it’s best to sort this out well before running in the election. If you have an employer, they’ll need to be flexible, understanding and more than on-board.