Election 2014: West Bench candidates spar over fences

Ronald Johnson (left) takes notes as Michael Brydon answers a question Thursday during an all-candidates forum for Area F of the RDOS.

image credit: Joe Fries/Western News

Mending fences with Penticton and building fences to keep out feral horses were among the themes Thursday at an all-candidates forum on the West Bench.

Incumbent Michael Brydon and challenger Ronald Johnson, who are running to represent Area F on the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, squared off in front of about 50 people inside the communitys school library

Brydon, a university professor seeking a third term as director, told the crowd hes running on his track record and will take direction from voters about what his priorities should be.

Johnson, a semi-retired dentist, outlined a platform with three planks: fencing out feral horses, ending mock water bills and creating an oversight committee to keep tabs on the director.

On the issue of horses, Johnson said he would immediately get to work drawing up a plan to repair and install the necessary fences, gates and cattle guards to keep the animals out of Area F neighbourhoods, then let voters decide if they want to go ahead with it.

Every community on their own should be able to talk about it, we should have a plan that says this is going to cost you this much, this is what its going to look like, and we have either a petition or a referendum to say: Do you approve this? Johnson said.

Right now, the status quo is terrible, he continued. I want to fence out those horses, and I want a plan, and I want you to approve that plan.

Brydon countered that such a plan already exists, but it hit a snag after some residents reported seeing horses getting across cattle guards, which, if proven true, would limit effectiveness of the fencing.

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Election 2014: West Bench candidates spar over fences