Kamloops City Councillors will be asked to support the development of the new Performing Arts Centre at their meeting tomorrow, November 5.

Corporate Services Director Kathy Humphrey says councillors will also be asked to decide how they want to move the project forward.

She says staff have no real preference between a referendum and a counter-petition.

“It’s a different amount of work for both the public and staff, and different costs depending on what they want,” she said. “But there’s definitely pros and cons to each of them, and really that’s up to council to decide. From our perspective, we can work with whatever they want.”

Humphrey says the earliest we could see a counter-petition would be in January, while a referendum would take place no sooner than March.

“In order for the city to borrow money, we have to ask the electors for their approval,” Humphrey added.

A referendum could cost between $100,000 and $120,000, based on past election and referendum costs. For it to pass, a referendum will need 50 per cent of the electorate plus one person to vote in favour.

The failed 2015 referendum on the PAC cost the city $112,000.

A counter-petition process meanwhile allows the electors to say if they are against the project from moving forward. If less than 10 per cent of the electorate (roughly 6,800 people) oppose the proposal, it will be approved. The city estimates this process could cost under $10,000.

The new project is estimated to cost $70 million, with taxpayers paying up to $45 million. Fundraising and corporate sponsorships however could lower the ask on the Kamloops taxpayer even further.

Humphrey says because there is old debt that is being paid off, the new project is not expected to increase taxes in future budgets.