Submitted questionnaire

Brian James Pinter

Owner - Pinter Distribution Ltd

This is the candidate’s public questionnaire. It is not a ForChange recommendation. The committee’s recommended candidates are published on the Candidates page.

1. 01 · Why are you running for Kelowna City Council?

   I have always been a very politically aware individual. Now that my kids have left home and I’ve reduced the demands of my business, I have decided it’s time to bring my extensive life skills and business experience to political office. I see the very real cynicism out there about politics and politicians. People are tired of empty promises, sloganeering and runaway spending. I believe that restoring trust in the political system will improve critically important voter participation, and in the process reduce the influence of special interest groups. I am running to bring common sense back to the things that matter - safer streets, real affordability, and fiscal responsibility. I believe that when city hall starts working for the families who live here, we can restore faith in our political system.

2. 02 · Issue #1: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   Safer streets. Throwing money at street-level disorder isn't working; treating symptoms without root causes means we never solve anything. As I always say: if solving one problem creates another, you still have a problem! We must focus on the source rather than just managing fallout.

   Specific Actions: Press upstream levels of government relentlessly for judicial reform to end the revolving-door justice system. Lobby for medical and community resources to tackle severe substance abuse, including advocating for a practical framework for involuntary care.

   Council's Influence: While senior governments hold jurisdiction over the Criminal Code and healthcare, city council holds leverage through its public platform and resources. A united council can apply relentless pressure on decision-makers to achieve structural changes.

3. 03 · Issue #2: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   Responsible Growth. Unmanaged growth is eroding Kelowna's quality of life. Playing catch-up instead of keeping infrastructure ahead of development causes congestion that hurts residents and businesses. Sprawl threatens wildlife habitat, while poor densification risks neighborhood character.
   Specific Actions: Prioritize capital spending so infrastructure is built before developments open. Protect ecosystems by reining in sprawl encroaching on wildlife corridors and wintering grounds. Direct higher density inward through planning that preserves existing neighborhoods.
   Council's Influence: City council controls the Official Community Plan, zoning bylaws, and development approvals. Using these tools and capital programs, council has direct authority to assert growth boundaries, condition approvals on adequate infrastructure, and protect our environment and community character.

4. 04 · Issue #3: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

   Housing Affordability. We face a balancing act: bringing down costs for buyers while protecting homeowners' equity for retirement. Meanwhile, regulatory burdens, red tape, and municipal fees drive prices up, squeezing first-time buyers and seniors.

   Specific Actions: Target municipal cost drivers by keeping DCCs in check, cutting red tape, and streamlining zoning to encourage diverse lower/middle income housing. Lobby senior governments for structural financial relief, such as extending mortgage amortizations or making residential mortgage interest tax-deductible to incentivize ownership and improve cash flow.

   Council Influence: Council controls local levers tied to development costs, including zoning approvals, permit turnaround times, and DCCs. Reducing municipal obstacles and fees can directly lower building costs while championing broader federal and provincial policy reforms.

5. 05 · What experience, skills, and community involvement do you bring to the role?

   Business & Operational Leadership: Over a decade as a local business owner since 2013, currently operating a distribution company and previously managing retail operations in Kingston, Jamaica. This background built skills in strict budget management, navigating shifting economies, and meeting payroll pressures.
   Financial & Regulatory Literacy: A 10-year career as an independent mortgage broker, combined with political science studies at UFV and SFU, developing a practical understanding of household finance, taxation, lending frameworks, and intergovernmental relationships.
   Public Safety & Community Investment: Four years as an RCMP Auxiliary Constable in Maple Ridge provided firsthand insight into law enforcement realities. As a Kelowna resident since 2006, I spent years coaching youth hockey, baseball, and softball.
   Lifelong Taxpayer Accountability: Over 40 years as a homeowner, having bought my first home at age 19. A dedicated taxpayer who understands the value of a dollar and knows what it means to be squeezed by rising costs at every level of government.

6. 06 · How will you approach council decisions when priorities compete for limited resources?

   This is perhaps the most important question of all. Setting priorities is the single most important attribute of an effective city council. When competing needs demand attention, my approach relies on clear rules:

   Does the project fall within the direct responsibility of Council? We must prioritize core municipal responsibilities (the needs) over vanity projects (the wants).

   For competing core projects, I evaluate them using these factors:

   Public Safety: Does not completing a project negatively impact public safety? If so, it takes priority.

   Cost of Deferral: Will delay create a much larger liability for the taxpayer down the road?

   Equitable Spreading: Ensuring fair distribution of resources across communities.

   A crumbling, unsafe road takes priority over decorative banners or non-essential amenities. Fiscal discipline requires the backbone to look at popular ideas, recognize when budgets won't support them, and say no so taxpayers aren't left holding the bag for runaway spending. Council achieves long-term support through an equitable, consistent and transparent decision-making framework.

7. 07 · How do you work with people who see an issue differently than you?

   There is little value in a council of nine people who all think the same way. If everyone around the table simply nods along, you do not get good governance. Some of my closest personal relationships and most productive collaborations are with people who view the world through a vastly different lens than I do, proving that disagreements are a true asset when handled with mutual respect.
   During my time as an RCMP Auxiliary, I worked alongside diverse personalities—from officers who could effortlessly defuse a biker brawl to those who turned quiet disagreements into fights. I learned early on to lead by example and emulate the traits you admire most in others.
   In over 40 years in the retail and wholesale food business, my goals often align with my customers', even when our methods differ. As an "old school" operator working alongside a younger generation, challenging one another allows us to share knowledge and grow together.
   Local government is a working board for difficult choices, not a popularity contest. Embracing friction tests ideas, exposes blind spots before public money is on the line, and ensures stronger, more practical policies for the entire community.

8. 08 · What else should voters know about you?

   I often get asked “what happened to your eye?” It happened when I was nine years old, taking a direct hit to the eye with a pellet gun. It certainly makes for a conversation starter, and I even toyed with the campaign slogan "One eye, but twice the vision" before deciding to keep it grounded!
   Aside from my monocular perspective, voters should know that I am a proud father and that I wouldn't have dreamed of entering this race without the full backing of my wife, Tracy. When I’m not working you will usually find me outdoors - whether I'm hunting, fishing, golfing, or out on a motorcycle ride. Oh, and I happen to possess the uncanny ability to whistle like a bird, which has been known to cause some exceptionally confused and hilarious double takes when I let loose in public.

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