Submitted questionnaire

Tim Down

Associate Broker and Property Tax Advisor

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?

   Kelowna is at a consequential point. Growth, housing pressure, public safety, infrastructure needs and rising costs are converging, while the next Council may include several new members. I am running because these conditions require practical judgment, financial discipline and decisions that can be explained and measured.

   As a Kelowna commercial real estate broker and property-tax advisor, I have spent nearly four decades working with property owners, businesses, investors and public-sector processes. I have seen how municipal decisions affect housing, development, taxes, infrastructure and local investment. I also previously served on Terrace City Council, so I understand the responsibility of elected office and the difference between campaigning and governing.

   I want to help Council ask better questions, compare reasonable alternatives, understand long-term costs and measure whether promised results are actually achieved. My objective is straightforward: safe and reliable services, responsible growth and better value for every tax dollar.

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

   Kelowna must maintain essential services and infrastructure while residents and businesses face affordability pressures. The issue is not simply whether spending rises or falls, but whether each commitment delivers public value at a sustainable long-term cost.

   I would apply a “Better Value Test” to operating and capital decisions: define the need, compare reasonable alternatives, disclose the full lifecycle cost and establish measurable outcomes before approval. I would support clearer reporting on project costs, service performance and significant variances.

   Council influences these outcomes through its budget, financial plan, capital priorities, service levels, procurement and program oversight. When resources are limited, Council should protect essential services and existing assets first, then rank new initiatives by evidence, urgency, risk, affordability and measurable benefit.

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

   Residents, businesses and vulnerable people are poorly served when public disorder, repeat emergency calls, untreated illness and criminal behaviour are treated as one problem. Kelowna needs clear standards for public spaces and the right response for each situation.

   I would support lawful, consistent enforcement; better coordination among RCMP, bylaw, fire, outreach and health partners; and transparent reporting on repeat calls, response times, public-space conditions and program results. I would also press senior governments for the treatment, complex-care, supportive-housing and justice capacity Kelowna needs.

   Council can set policing and bylaw priorities, manage public spaces, fund local partnerships and advocate for action. It cannot deliver provincial health care or reform the justice system, so it must be clear about its jurisdiction and persistent with senior governments.

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

   Kelowna needs more housing, but the goal should be the right homes, in the right form and location, supported by infrastructure, not density for its own sake. Towers may suit some urban centres, while townhomes, low- and mid-rise apartments, family-sized units and infill may better fit other areas.

   I would assess growth against housing need, neighbourhood context, transportation capacity, parking, water, sewer, parks and emergency services. Approvals and capital plans should align so costs and congestion are not shifted to residents. Public incentives should deliver measurable housing outcomes, and employment lands must be protected.

   Council can influence form and location through the OCP, zoning, approvals, infrastructure budgets and City land. It cannot control interest rates or construction costs, but can reduce delays, set clear rules and require growth to be serviced responsibly.

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

   I bring a combination of commercial real estate experience, valuation and taxation knowledge, business judgment and previous municipal governance experience.

   I am a Kelowna commercial real estate broker and property-tax advisor with nearly four decades of work in real estate brokerage, property valuation, property assessment, municipal taxation and business advisory services. This background has required me to analyze evidence, understand financial consequences, negotiate among competing interests and explain complex matters clearly.

   I previously served on Terrace City Council in the late 1990s. That experience taught me how Council, staff and the public should interact; how competing priorities reach the Council table; and why elected officials must arrive prepared, ask informed questions and take responsibility for their decisions.

   My most direct public-service involvement has been municipal elected service. My professional work in Kelowna also keeps me closely connected with local property owners, tenants, entrepreneurs, investors and professionals who experience the practical effects of City decisions.

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

   I would begin by recognizing that every choice has an opportunity cost. Funding one initiative may mean delaying another, reducing a service elsewhere or increasing taxes and fees.

   My first priorities would be legal obligations, public safety, essential services and the maintenance of existing infrastructure. Beyond those fundamentals, I would assess proposals using clear criteria: evidence of need, available alternatives, full lifecycle cost, urgency, risk, distribution of benefits and burdens, and how results will be measured.

   I would ask whether an initiative can be redesigned, phased, partnered, deferred or delivered at lower cost without creating greater long-term risk. I would also distinguish affordability today from sustainability over time; deferring necessary maintenance can be more expensive than acting responsibly now.

   Council decisions are collective. I would listen to staff, the public and other councillors, then state my reasoning and the trade-offs openly. I will not promise that every worthwhile request can be funded, but I will insist that priorities be set consistently and explained honestly.

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

   I start by listening carefully enough to understand the other person’s actual concern, not merely the position they have taken. I try to separate facts, assumptions, values and interests, because disagreement often becomes more manageable once those elements are clear.

   I ask what evidence supports each position, what risks each person is trying to avoid and what information might change our conclusions. Where possible, I look for common objectives and practical options rather than forcing an artificial choice between two fixed positions.

   My professional work has involved negotiations among owners, tenants, businesses, institutions and public authorities whose interests do not always align. Council service also taught me that respectful disagreement is normal and that no councillor governs alone.

   I will be direct without making disagreement personal. I will change my view when better evidence warrants it, and I will explain my position when agreement is not possible. Once Council has made a lawful decision, I will respect the institution and support proper implementation while remaining accountable for my own position.

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

   Voters should know that I am not running on the premise that every large budget is wasteful, every tax increase is unjustified or every development is beneficial. Those are slogans, not decision standards.

   The proper test is whether residents receive safe, reliable and effective services at a reasonable long-term cost, and whether growth produces durable public value rather than deferred obligations.

   My approach is to respect every tax dollar, ask better questions, make better decisions and measure the results. Experience should produce practical judgment and accountability—not entitlement to office. I will do the work, read the material, disclose my reasoning and remain willing to challenge my own assumptions.

   I bring an independent perspective shaped by commercial real estate, property assessment, taxation, business advisory work and previous municipal council service. I am seeking the role to contribute from the outset while continuing to listen and learn.

   Kelowna is home for my family and me, and I am personally invested in ensuring it remains a safe, affordable and economically strong community for current and future generations.

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