Barry Beardsell providing feedback and requesting more information about the 2024 Annual Report at the Vernon City Council meeting Monday, June 23 (Liam Verster / Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

2024 Annual Report Input & Concerns

Public concerns raised following release of Vernon’s 2024 Annual Report

Jun 25, 2025 | 12:59 PM

The City of Vernon released its 2024 Annual Report in early June, sparking some concerns and feedback from local residents.

At the regular meeting Monday, June 23, Vernon City Council opened the floor to members of the public to provide feedback on the annual report.

There were no written submissions, but two people in the council chambers did step up to the podium to raise their concerns and give their feedback.

Barry Beardsell was first to address council, where he spoke on a number of topics:

• Sewer reserves dropping from $20-million in 2021 to $4.9-million in the report, and again to $4-million in the 2025 budget, with $12-million of that being used for Okanagan Springs brewery operation expansions
• Previous studies recommending Okanagan Springs pay the entire amount for the sewer upgrades needed to accomodate its operations, but the burden instead being put on taxpayers as well
• Decisions regarding the Active Living Centre made in-camera (privately without the public present and without being recorded), with the only part brought out of that meeting being an additional cost of $15-million, with no details on what that would be spent on
• No details in the report about which capital projects were done in 2024 or what their costs were, along with no comparison of the actual costs versus what was included in the budget
• Tax rates increasing by a minimum of 7 per cent in the coming years
• A request for an update on the reservoir property following a court case
• A request for the update on the study of the RCMP building and implications of maintenance or renovation work required in the future

Council grants

Vernon to distribute over $50k in Council Discretionary Grants, $20K to the food bank

15h ago

Possible firearm involved

One person apprehended in connection with suspicious activity in Coldstream

Dec 13, 2025

Fatal Collision, Highway Closed

One person dead in crash near Revelstoke

Dec 13, 2025

Dawn Tucker also asked about natural gas revenue, which was included in the report but did not show any revenues to date.

City council accepted the feedback and indicated the city would reach out to the people to answer their questions and address their concerns, and noting those answers would also be made public.

Speaking with Vernon Matters following the meeting, Mayor Victor Cumming said he appreciates feedback from the public.

“The first person who spoke had a number of financial issues that he was concerned about, but one of the things the city does that’s really important for people to understand, is we manage a lot of physical infrastructure that is set up to last a long time,” Cumming said.

“We’re not just buying and selling in a retail kind of fashion, we’re actually building things that have a long life, so how we manage those assets and how we finance those assets, when something’s going to last 70 years, are very critical questions. So I really appreciate the community member who came out and asked the question, very specifically, to what we’re doing at the waste water treatment plant and a specific high-strength waste addition that we built out there.”

The mayor added that the feedback received in relation to the report may also be considered in future decisions.