EDITORIAL – AAP is now the go-to method for big-money projects
Proposed KSAR facility. (Image: TNRD)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
THE ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS continues to gain vitality in and around Kamloops.
City council is in the middle of an APP for two projects. One is a $16,750,000 loan authorization for the purchase of a 9.77-adcre property adjacent to the City’s civic operations yard to provide for expansion.
The other is a $9 million loan for phase three of the Tranquille Road sewer main project. The deadline for returning elector response forms opposing the projects is 4 p.m., May 29.
In addition, of course, there’s the plan for a new RCMP building, the AAP for which is on hold.
Now, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is going to use an AAP for a $6.3 million loan toward the proposed Regional Search and Rescue Hall and Training Facility in Rayleigh.
The problem with APPs is that they are a negative billing method of gaining approval. If an elector doesn’t return the form, that person is assumed to be in favour of borrowing the money for the proposed projects. It’s a lot like being charged for an online product or service unless you expressly state your opposition to it.
In the case of the two current Kamloops AAPs, at least 8,527 ‘No’ forms (10 per cent of eligible electors) must be returned in order to stop or stall the loan authorization proposals. If that should happen, the City still has the option of putting them to a referendum.
The TNRD project will go to electors in all electoral areas and municipalities in the regional district. Again, a 10 per cent threshold must be achieved to defeat it.
All of the above projects are worthy. Whether they’re essential or not is a matter of opinion but an argument can be made that they are, at least, important. Nevertheless, the increasing use of the APP method of authorization for major civic loans is concerning.
Rather than being reserved for rare use for projects that are absolutely essential, the APP has become the preferred route rather than requiring a majority consent of voters via referenda. The APP has become nothing more than a convenient way of getting projects done, and that’s not what it’s supposed to be for.
Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, writes for the Kamloops Chronicle and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and was a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Wow! I thought the advertising for the 2 Kamloops AAPs was poor, but the advertising for this TNRD one is even worse! Thanks Mel for your editorial. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have been aware of this latest initiative. And I’m sure I’m not alone. There’s low key and then there’s virtually non-existent. The editorial prompted me to looked it up to get further details. Talk about confusing and convoluted! The bylaw and explanatory brochure were loaded with various percentages and abbreviations. And ultimately the information was not terribly clear. Exactly what the powers-that-be wanted. Just another example of pushing a high dollar-value project through without input from the taxpayers.
By the way…did anyone else notice that the number of eligible voters for the McMaster and Tranquille AAPs was 1,858 less than the number of eligible voters for the PAC and multiplex AAPs? That a 3% drop in the population over the last 22 months. Hmmm. I wonder what the number will be in October?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I believe there should be a maximum loan amount for AAPs, especially those that don’t involve necessary infrastructure. Anything over, say, $50 million should be required to go to referendum.
LikeLike
https://cfjctoday.com/2026/05/26/kamloops-council-amends-bylaw-to-account-for-email-address-error-that-could-have-affected-aap-outcome/
I am glad Kamloops City Council fixed the issue and corrected the bylaw. It’s important that the process is handled properly and that any errors are addressed.
LikeLike
AAP might be legal, but that doesn’t make it democratic. Using a process where silence is treated as approval for massive borrowing projects is the wrong approach for taxpayers. Major spending decisions deserve a proper referendum with an actual vote. More and more, it feels like AAP is being used because it’s easier for governments to get the outcome they want, not because it’s the best way to engage the public. Transparency and accountability matter, especially when hundreds of millions of dollars are involved.
LikeLiked by 2 people
…and then there will be unintended consequences for which the taxpayers will come to the rescue and the perpetrators will walk away with a plaque, like celebrities…that’s not the way it should be done.
LikeLiked by 1 person