(file photo/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

CFIB Study

RDNO named the second most efficient regional district in B.C.

Sep 8, 2025 | 3:03 PM

The Regional District of North Okanagan has earned some praise from a small business advocate.

At a time when public sector is criticized for overspending, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has applauded the RDNO for being the second most efficient regional district in B.C. in terms of its spending.

“The Regional District of North Okanagan should be recognized for their responsible spending habits,” Ryan Mitton, CFIB Director of Legislative Affairs for B.C., said in a release.

“When local governments cut red tape and make their bureaucracies more efficient, it helps keep property taxes affordable for small businesses which is essential while we are also facing US tariffs.”

The accolade was given following a study entitled Bureaucracy over Basics: An Examination of Regional Spending Growth.The study found that, on average, regional district spending was rising faster than population, inflation and property taxes in B.C., resulting in higher taxes for small businesses.

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However, the RDNO was reportedly successful in controlling their cost of bureaucracy and had decreased their spending on administrative purposes by 11 per cent annually, which was under the key economic benchmarks. It also offset the total spending growth, which was recorded at eight per cent in the report.

The other most efficient regional districts in B.C. were Nanaimo (first), Peace River (third) Fraser Valley (fourth), and qathet (fifth).