It came down to a coin toss to decide who would be the vice-chair of the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen.
Keremeos Mayor Manfred Bauer and Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit were nominated to fill the position of vice-chair for the final year of the term at Thursday’s inaugural board meeting.
After a written ballot vote, the mayor’s were tied.
That’s when the coin toss came in.
“It’s like it’s Game 7,” Andre Martin, councillor for the city of Penticton said. Martin nominated Jakubeit for the position.
Bauer, who filled the vice-chair position the previous year, picked heads for the coin toss and won.
Karla Kozakevich was named chair through acclimation. Kozakevich served as the chair last year as well.
During a brief report before the vote, Kozakevich highlighted some of the successes at the board over the last year. Included were: administering the Conservation Fund, initiated metre-based billing in West Bench, operating the Emergency Operations Centre from May till September to respond to flooding then fire, and more.
Kozakevich said the board has a busy last year of their first four-year term ahead.
On the list of tasks that still need completing is siting a regional organics facility, creating a new electoral Area by splitting Area D, and ensuring all the RDOS seven fire departments are up to standard for exterior attack and paperwork.
“At the board we sometimes forget that in just about everything we do, there are some hardworking employees of the Regional District taking our ideas and turning them into reality,” she said. “We need to say a big thank you to all our staff who work so hard for us at the Regional District, your efforts every day are much appreciated.”
