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Five Kamloops city councillors are urging residents to vote "Yes" for proportional representation in the electoral reform referendum this fall.

The group issued an open letter on Tuesday morning:

Based on our experience as Kamloops city councillors, we support proportional representation for provincial elections. City council is composed of representatives from many parts of the political spectrum, elected by a format ensuring a diversity of viewpoints. Councillors present a wide range of opinions at council meetings, a breadth that facilitates the search for workable solutions to issues faced by the community. Reports and recommendations brought forward by city staff, and concerns raised by citizens and councillors, are thoroughly examined from many points of view. This diversity, expressed with respect, often results in council reaching common ground. Through compromise, cooperation and civility, we arrive at decisions that represent a broad base of the community. We feel that this approach, rooted in diversity, serves the public well by arriving at stable and enduring policy decisions at the city level. We believe that proportional representation, because it accurately reflects the diversity of views that exist in society, will allow more stable and productive provincial policy decisions as well. We have seen too often the problems of “policy lurch" that result from the adversarial atmosphere so common under our current first-past-the-post voting system. We need a system that will encourage a cooperative sharing of ideas and opinions. Such a system has more opportunity to achieve solutions, and these solutions will be more stable and enduring. We urge you to vote "Yes" for proportional representation in the upcoming referendum.

Signed by: Arjun Singh, Dieter Dudy, Tina Lange, Denis Walsh and Donovan Cavers

KamloopsMatters has reached out to the mayor and three councillors who did not sign to ask why.

Here's what they had to say:

Ken Christian: "I did not sign it for two reasons. First, I do not believe you should use your status and title as an elected individual to influence matters outside your jurisdiction or purview. Secondly, I will not be supporting their position on the referendum as it is simply pandering to the Green Party as a result of the coalition government we now face in B.C. Adding seats to the legislative assembly will not make government more efficient, effective nor accountable. It will only cost more."

Pat Wallace: Waiting for comment.

Kathy Sinclair: "I know it was intended to come from a group of individual councillors. It comes across as a statement from city council and I didn’t feel that was appropriate. That was a choice that those councillors made and they’re entitled to do that. I just didn’t think it was appropriate for myself."

Ray Dhaliwal: Waiting for comment.

British Columbians will vote on proportional representation via mail-in ballot from Oct. 22 to Nov. 30.

To learn more about each model, click HERE.