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The quick read: The City of West Kelowna has declared the official results of its 2026 general local election. Stephen Johnston was elected mayor, six councillors were elected, and Samuel Robson was elected school trustee for School District 23, Zone 4. The new mayor and council will be sworn in at the November 3 inaugural meeting, which is open to the public and livestreamed.

West Kelowna has its new council, officially.

The City of West Kelowna has declared the official results of the 2026 general local election, following the October 17 vote.

Stephen Johnston was elected mayor, and six councillors were elected: Tom Groat, Garrett Millsap, Rick de Jong, Tasha Da Silva, Justin Chapman, and Chris Moyer.

Samuel Robson was elected school trustee for School District 23, Zone 4.

The new mayor and council will be sworn in at the November 3 inaugural meeting, which is open to the public and livestreamed.

Johnston's promise: town halls are back

Johnston, a two-term councillor who was elected mayor by acclamation after no other candidates came forward, says improving communication, transparency, and public engagement will be among his top priorities.

He has already decided the city will hold town halls in West Kelowna again, two a year, one in the fall and one in the spring.

The town halls will give residents a chance to raise concerns and share ideas about their own neighbourhoods, in person, rather than only through a council agenda.

He also says the city will look at ways to streamline its operations and improve how it communicates with residents, including regular social media updates and in-person meetings.

That is the right instinct, and residents should hold him to it.

Trust in local government is not rebuilt with a press release.

It is rebuilt when residents can ask a question, get a straight answer, and see the money spent wisely, especially after the cost overruns that have dogged West Kelowna projects.

One reassurance on the water file

In a separate update, the city reports that extra testing and monitoring at the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant over the Thanksgiving long weekend continues to confirm that drinking water meets federal regulations and provincial guidelines.

That is welcome news for Rose Valley households, and it is the kind of basic-service reassurance a council should be able to give without drama.

The new council's job now is straightforward: keep the water safe, keep the books in order, and keep talking to the people who pay the bills.

Sources: City of West Kelowna news releases, October 2026; Boundary Sentinel municipal results coverage.

Photo credit: Photo by Michael D Beckwith on Pexels