Submitted questionnaire

Davis Kyle

Procurement and Contract Specialist

This is the candidate’s public questionnaire. It is not a ForChange recommendation. Committee recommendations will be published after the review is complete.

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

   I am running for Kelowna City Council because I believe that capable, well-rounded and financially-minded candidates are needed in order to make progress on the locally-controlled issues that matter to our residents. I know that I am well prepared for this moment, that I can contribute effectively as one voice at a table for nine, in order to help suggest tangible policy changes to address the issues facing our city.

   From planning & zoning policy, to fiscal management and capital budgeting, to addressing public safety and quality of life concerns in our community, we need dedicated leaders who understand that the main role of a city councillor is to to help provide broad strategic leadership guidance that staff should manage and execute at a more tactical, day-to-day level.

   I am not running for city council as a stepping stone, or because I have any further political ambitions. I have no interest in going off to Victoria or Ottawa, or being mayor, but I do think that it takes a cross-section of work experience, of lived experience, of education, age, and policy views for a council to represent the needs of the community and work together on solving problems for residents.

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

   Affordability & Economic Growth:

   Affordability means the cost of living: the cost to purchase both new and used residential property, the market cost of rent, the commercial and industrial cost of triple-net lease and new construction, and local taxation, including both DCC & property taxes. Economic growth, with no local GDP stats, means unemployment & annualized business investment in Kelowna city limits

   Platform supports:

   -Targeting a 5% or more vacancy rate for both ownership and rental housing, while ensuring opportunity for new homes from single family, to townhome, to apartment. Support Glenmore study.
   -Committing to a DCC reduction plan through bonded infrastructure financing & lobbying for municipal funding model reform (taking cues from Quebec).
   -Permitting & zoning review to improve efficiency and cut paperwork (copying Port Coquitlam).
   - Pro-Hotel OCP amendments.

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

   Quality of Life:

   A broad category but includes most planning & capital budgeting decisions. Everything from time wasted commuting in heavy traffic, to community recreation amenities like activity centres or parks, to residential traffic noise and safety, affects quality of life.

   Platform supports:

   -Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor planning between downtown Kelowna and the University and Airport, along with between the north end and south mission.
   -Lobbying for Provincial bridge & highway improvements & new transit yard (ASAP).
   -Investment in street urbanisation and traffic calming approaches like street trees, sidewalks & roundabouts.
   -Funding to improve per-capita sports field (soccer) and hockey rink availability. Severe shortages for many parents currently.
   -Align OCP with Urban Forest Strategy. Work to improve urban / suburban cover to mitigate heat islands.

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

   Public Safety:

   I recognize that council has done much within local control on safety, and that public lobbying could jeopardize grants, but council must be more vocal on lobbying for involuntary care. Mayor can be spokesman, but I strongly support doing what we can to get something built and staffed to reduce open drug use & public disorder.

   Platform supports:

   - Dedicated 24/7 foot patrols in all urban centres, focus on downtown, in Rutland and the Capri areas, via business association teams, to reduce public disorder. Funding model via Parking Benefit Districts for no effect on property taxes.
   -Expansion of park cleanup and park maintenance, including security and CPTED investments.
   -Enforce the single-designated-sheltering site model at OS4, as opposed to distributed sheltering in doorways, parks, further along rail trail.
   -Continue police force service review / study.

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

   My entire professional life since earning my has been dedicated to financial management and the careful consideration of service requirements for businesses or public entities, in order to maximize value and limit risk. This will give me insight into not just the financial side of budgeting and capital planning, but the needs-based assessments behind the budget.

   I served as Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition President in 2023 when I brought the idea of the downtown bike valet to mayor & staff. I oversaw the 2025 expansion. While valets do not solve many parts of the bike theft problem, our members wanted action, and we did what we could. It has been successful for events like Canada Day and the car show. We demonstrated success with the city, and expanded to the Saturday Farmers' Market. Gives me a practical insight into the theft concerns many residents have.

   I served as the last Vice Chair of the Planning Advisory Committee for the RDCO. It didn't provide the right feedback mechanisms for residents. I recommended abolishment. Public input is important, which means creating statistically significant ways to hear resident concerns.

   I've been active at Chamber policy workshops

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

   I have make judgement calls about what provides the best value through my employment, but that is different from acting as a public official.

   The first place I would look would be my values and my contract with voters. If I am choosing between two options, I want to do what I promised to do when running for office. My word is important to me, and that is why I have put great care into creating a more detailed platform than many of my competitors.

   If we are picking between items of finances, such as hiring a police officer or a planner, I would look to our council priorities and my own values. It's important to consider that both may be truly required, which necessarily means either a cut elsewhere or a larger property tax increase. I would explore those possibilities and make the decision based on the specific context.

   A book that speaks to me is Abundance -
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_(Klein_and_Thompson_book)

   We should resolve supply shortages through market competition and funding and push back on hapless plans based on short-term politicking. People want a government that works and delivers what it promises. That's my intention as a councillor.

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

   The first step is checking policy agreements at the door when outside of council chambers. We are all people who agree or disagree on the issues. Nobody wants to work with a councillor they don't like or respect. We should be able to share drinks or a meal after debating at the table, and that is my intention going in.

   Sometimes, the majority of councillors will disagree with me on an issue that I care about. That's completely fine. It is my responsibility to bring the item up for debate, perhaps through a notice of motion, and it is equally my responsibility to let it go if the vote doesn't go my way.

   My philosophy when approaching councillors on an actual policy issue is to focus on where we agree. They might have different opinions on whatever subject, but if we have common ground on an item, we should work together when we can. I'm not going to vote against an idea that someone else has because of personal animosity, and I hope they would treat me in the same way. If I vote against them on an item because I simply disagree on the merits, that is not a reflection on them as a person.

   That's been my approach with the 2022 council, it will continue to be my approach.

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

   I've seen firsthand how government bureaucracy or policy has driven up costs for residents and taxpayers. I recognize the importance of permitting reform, of stepping back and looking at the bigger picture to judge value (or lack thereof), and in being agile.

   Some people will criticize me as a candidate, saying that I want a municipal government job while working for the Province (in a non-partisan way). But sometimes it takes people on the inside, who know what could be broken, to provide their work experience and bring about process improvements and pragmatic reforms.

   The fact of the matter is that city council pays like a part-time position, and I need more than part-time employment to pay my bills. Having an employer that is required to provide me with unpaid leave for council duties was a must when I began considering local politics in 2021. I could make more money in the private sector, especially if I switched cities. But I love Kelowna, and I want to make our city better. I'm running only because I feel that my ideas, my perspective, and my values could be useful at the table. By working together with other voices, we can ensure our best days lie ahead of us.

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