New Kelowna councillors intend to improve public discourse

Posted November 3, 2026 8:34 pm

Updated November 3, 2026 8:41 pm

3 min read

2:32 Kelowna city council’s ‘unwritten’ rule under scrutiny

Re-elected Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas is promising better communication and more listening as the city’s new council begins its term.

But whether that includes greater access to individual councillors before decisions are made remains an open question.

At Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, Dyas pledged to find more ways to listen and communicate. Asked what that would look like, he acknowledged there is room for improvement.

“Over the last few months, we’ve heard that there needs to be some improvement with regards to communications,” Dyas said, adding that the city is looking at what changes could be made.

One issue that has drawn scrutiny is councillors’ reluctance to speak publicly to the media about matters coming before council.

During Dyas’ first term, journalists were often told the city’s code of conduct prevented councillors from commenting on issues before they were debated at the council table.

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However, the code does not explicitly prohibit elected officials from expressing their personal opinions on municipal issues before or after council considers them.

Dyas maintains that councillors should wait until they have received all the information presented during a council meeting before communicating their position on a matter.

“To speak to an item before a decision is made at a council meeting would not be appropriate,” he said, explaining that information presented during deliberations could change a councillor’s thinking.

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Dyas argues the approach allows councillors to make informed decisions without outside discussion influencing the process.

But Sean Holman, a journalism professor at the University of Victoria and the Wayne Crooks Professor in Environmental and Climate Journalism, says limiting public discussion until after decisions are made raises concerns about transparency and accountability.

“The only thing that matters is the decision after the fact and that’s just wrong,” Holman said. “We should be able to know why government is making the decisions that it makes.”

Holman says increasingly scripted communications and restrictions on access to elected officials are eroding the public’s right to know and undermining trust in government.

“What Canadians want more than anything else from their elected officials is authenticity and the truth,” he said.

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2:02 City of Kelowna code of conduct controversy

Some of the city’s newest councillors say they intend to take a more open approach.

Newly-elected councillor Les Bellamy says he has no intention of being silenced and believes the code of conduct does not prevent councillors from speaking about general municipal matters.

“I think councils may have been encouraged not to speak to matters and I will do so respectfully,” Bellamy said. “The code of conduct does not limit what I can say.”

Bellamy says he wants to ensure he has all the relevant facts before offering an opinion, but also wants to see more opportunities for residents to have their say before decisions are made.

He intends to bring forward a motion asking city staff to investigate ways to improve direct communication between the community and council, potentially through dedicated public input time at meetings or townhalls.

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Fellow newcomer Kevin Kraft also says he is comfortable speaking with the media before council meetings.

“I’m fine being accessible even prior to a meeting,” Kraft said. “With five new councillors joining the eight-member council, whether a change in council brings a change in communication remains to be seen.”

Five new councillors are joining the nine-member council but whether the new faces can help make a change in communication will only be determined over time.