Armchair mayor back in office

After a break from the world of local government, former Kamloops mayor Mel Rothenburger has been elected as the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) director for Area P (Rivers and the Peaks) at the TNRD General Election on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Rothenburger defeated incumbent director John Sternig, who had held the position for the past six years, 512 votes to 444.

“I’m thrilled about being the director for Area P, and I’m really looking forward to the next four years on the board,” he said.

“I want to focus a lot on connecting with the various communities and residents in Area P, building relationships, and creating an environment of ongoing communications to keep everyone informed of what’s going on.”

Rothenburger said he’d already encountered a variety of issues across the electorate, including strata and zoning concerns in Whitecroft, water quality and access in Pritchard and Black Pines, and fire service in Pinantan Lake.

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“There are a whole host of issues that may not directly be within the jurisdiction of the TNRD but that I may be able to act on as director.”

Rothenburger is nicknamed the Armchair Mayor, in reference to a long-running news blog he curates, commenting on issues in Kamloops and the surrounding region. Although his priority will now be with the TNRD, Rothenburger hopes the website will continue.

“It has kind of established a place for itself in the community and I would like to see it continuing. I’d hope that some more contributors will get involved and the blog will keep going.”

The inaugural meeting for the new TNRD board takes place on December 11, at which point Rothenburger and other new directors will be sworn into their new roles.

The General Election received a voter turnout of 25 per cent, with 2,347 votes cast out of the 9,485 eligible voters. Electoral Area P recorded a higher than average voter turnout of 32 per cent, with 956 of 2,995 eligible residents voting.