Yes side weigh options

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet File Photo

Rob Moyor

Don't think for a moment the issue of a new city hall on Elliott Road in West Kelowna is dead.

After coming up just 27 votes short in Saturday's referendum, officials of the Yes campaign are working behind the scenes to determine their next move.

Depending what the official results show when they are released Wednesday afternoon, a next step could be a request for an official recount.

"We are waiting for more definitive answers as to what a recount actually involves," said Rob Moyor, managing partner of Strategic Development Group, the company hired to build the new city hall and civic centre.

"The issue of most concern is without a voters list, there's really no way to really determine if someone voted more than once, for example. Whether they voted and used the correct address, whether they were on native land or in the city."

Moyor said they are trying to determine what an actual recount would look like and whether an audit could be conducted to answer some of those questions.

"Were people actually eligible to vote who voted."

A few hundred names were deleted from the petition as part of the earlier Alternative Approval Process.

Regardless of the outcome, Moyor said about 15 per cent of West Kelowna residents were in favour while 15 per cent were opposed. The rest, presumably didn't care one way or another.

"That begs a question from my perspective, if that's the case, what do the city councillors do when they can see it's just a small group that really don't want this.

"Do they have the courage to step up and move forward regardless, knowing that only 15 per cent said 'no' and the rest said 'yes' or don't care."