Sun Peaks becomes its own municipality

The votes are in :the majority voted in favor of Sun Peaks becoming a municipality.

It will become the Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks and will be governed by a mayor and four councilors, said the Sun Peaks 2009 Technical Report Update. It will allow the community to devise their own standards, bylaws, policing and zoning regulations. The report also stated that this development will improve services such as road conditions and law enforcement. And the municipality will be able to decide what to do with its own budget.

However, property owners can expect a three per cent increase in their property taxes to cover the additional expenses to have municipality status and services.

In order to start the community off with their restructuring the Ministry of Community and Rural Development has offered the new municipality with a grant of $75,000: $150 for each of the 500 permanent residents.

However, 1,200 people were eligible to vote but only 291 actually did, reported the official results by the Sun Peaks Municipal Incorporation Study. This makes the voter turnout 24 per cent, but despite low a low turnout 73 per cent voted in favor.

Sun Peaks will be the first mountain resort community to be come a municipality since 1996.