GREG DAHMS — CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
OK, Let’s Vote — Kelowna’s 2026 Election Guide
Office: Council
Submitted: 2026-09-14T14:37:00-07:00 (Pacific time)
Reviewed and published September 14, 2026

Answers supplied by the candidate or authorized campaign representative and published with their saved authorization. Private contact emails and upload links are excluded. Paragraph spacing follows the original submission table. Claims in answers are attributed statements, not independently audited results. Blank answers, scope selections and conditions do not establish support or opposition. Answers about past motions are hypothetical, not recorded votes.

PROFILE AND PRIORITIES

1. Which office are you seeking, and where can voters find your campaign and public contact details?
Answer: Kelowna City Council www.gregdahms.com [Private email omitted.]

2. What experience would you bring to this role?
Answer: As this is my third campaign, I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know many residents across Kelowna and listening firsthand to the issues and priorities that matter most to them. My experience as a local entrepreneur and business owner has given me a strong foundation in leadership, decision-making, fiscal responsibility, and understanding the challenges facing our community. Combined with my longstanding commitment to community service, my motivation is rooted in a genuine desire to serve others, contribute positively to our community, and help make Kelowna an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

3. What are your top three priorities, and one practical action for each?
Answer: Safety & Security: Make our neighbourhoods safer by increasing visible enforcement and improving coordination between the City, RCMP, bylaw services, and community partners. Housing Affordability & Cost of Living: Reduce unnecessary municipal costs and barriers associated with building so we can encourage the construction of more attainable housing while keeping property taxes and fees under control. Infrastructure: Protect taxpayers by prioritizing the maintenance and renewal of existing infrastructure while planning responsibly for the demands of Kelowna's growth.

4. How would you keep your decisions transparent and remain accountable to residents?
Answer: My priorities are straightforward: safer neighbourhoods, more attainable housing and a lower cost of living, and infrastructure that keeps pace with our growth. My focus will be on practical solutions, responsible spending, and making sure taxpayers receive real value for the money the City collects.

5. Are there any affiliations or interests relevant to your candidacy that you want voters to know about?
Answer: Over the past 15 years I have supported animal-safety initiatives, helped raise funds and awareness for the BC SPCA, and continue to volunteer in the community at the Kelowna Mission Thrift Store.

6. What else would you like added or corrected on your website profile?
Answer: [No answer submitted.]

QUICK POSITIONS

1. The City should shorten and simplify the process for approving new homes.
Answer: Yes / Support

2. The City should reduce development cost charges on new housing.
Answer: Yes / Support

3. Restrictions on short-term rentals should be loosened.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: I support a more balanced approach to short-term rentals. Restrictions should be loosened where appropriate, but this should be accompanied by clear rules, effective enforcement, and accountability to ensure short-term rentals can coexist responsibly with neighbouring residents and multifamily communities.

4. The City should pursue expanded public transit service.
Answer: Yes / Support

5. Infrastructure and service capacity should be ready before major additional growth is approved.
Answer: Yes / Support

6. The City should advocate for expanded involuntary addiction-treatment capacity.
Answer: Yes / Support

7. The City should invest in wildfire prevention and preparedness.
Answer: Yes / Support

8. The City should carry out additional spending audits or operational reviews.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: Yes, when there is a clear opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs, and ensure taxpayers receive value for their money. The audits and reviews should be conducted in a fiscally responsible manner.

9. The City should make individual councillors’ voting records easier to find and search.
Answer: Outside my role
Editorial note: Outside my role is the candidate’s selected answer; it is not an editorial finding about municipal jurisdiction.

10. Would you have supported the October 27, 2025 electoral-reform study and conditional referendum-preparation motion? This bundled decision did not implement wards.
Answer: Undecided

11. Would you have supported the March 16, 2026 second and third land-use and rezoning readings for part of Kelowna Springs? These were not final adoption.
Answer: Undecided

12. Would you have supported the April 20, 2026 financial-plan and tax-funding motion, with its stated average net property impact of 4.40%? Individual bills vary.
Answer: No / Oppose

13. The City should help expand co-operative housing and community land trusts.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: I would support when there is a demonstrable public benefit and appropriate accountability. These projects may require municipal land, grants, fee reductions, tax incentives, or infrastructure investments. The question is whether the public benefit justifies the financial contribution and whether subsidized housing is reaching the people who need it most and eligibility remains appropriate over time.

14. The City should strengthen protections for tenants displaced by redevelopment or renovations.
Answer: Outside my role
Editorial note: Outside my role is the candidate’s selected answer; it is not an editorial finding about municipal jurisdiction.

15. The City should allow more small shops and cafés within residential neighbourhoods.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: I support allowing more cafés and small shops in residential areas where there is a demonstrated need for local services, particularly in new and rapidly growing neighbourhoods that lack convenient access to basic amenities. A good example of this is the commercial development by the Ponds in Upper Mission. I would support appropriately designated neighbourhood commercial areas, however these services should be appropriately planned, with consideration given to existing services, traffic, parking, and the character of the surrounding community, avoiding unnecessary expansion of commercial uses into established residential areas that already have reasonable access to services.

16. The City should advocate for a second bridge crossing of Okanagan Lake.
Answer: No / Oppose

17. The City should invest in filling gaps in its sidewalk and cycling networks.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: The City should prioritize sidewalk and cycling improvements where they are most needed and most heavily used, particularly in higher-density areas, where significant numbers of residents walk or cycle. Taxpayer dollars should be directed toward projects that improve safety and connectivity while ensuring that improvements do not unnecessarily create traffic or access problems for residents who rely on vehicles.

18. The City should expand foot patrols in commercial areas experiencing crime and disorder.
Answer: Yes / Support

19. The City should support expanded non-police response teams for suitable mental-health and substance-use calls.
Answer: Yes / Support

20. The City should increase access to public washrooms.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: The City should consider increasing access to public washrooms, particularly in areas where there is a demonstrated need. Accessible washrooms can improve public health, hygiene, and cleanliness by reducing public urination and defecation. However, facilities must be appropriately located, maintained, and, where necessary, monitored to ensure they remain safe and do not become centres for drug use or other unsafe activity. Any expansion should be based on a practical assessment of community need, cost, safety, and ongoing maintenance.

21. The City should prioritize protecting agricultural land when making land-use decisions.
Answer: Yes / Support

22. The City should strengthen protection for existing trees.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: The City should strengthen protection for healthy, established trees, but the focus should be on maintaining and expanding a healthy and sustainable urban forest—not simply preserving every tree. Invasive or unhealthy trees should be appropriately replaced with suitable species. Developers who clear land for construction should also be required to contribute to replanting, replacing lost trees and, where appropriate, adding additional trees to help maintain a healthy balance as our community grows.

23. The City should limit annual property-tax increases to inflation.
Answer: Conditional / Depends
Candidate explanation: The City should generally limit annual property-tax increases to inflation and make every effort to find alternatives before asking taxpayers for more. Exceptions should only be considered when there is a clearly demonstrated and unavoidable need. Council should provide residents with a transparent explanation of the costs and alternatives.

24. Mayor and council pay increases should take effect only after the next election.
Answer: Yes / Support

25. Would you support a ward system for Kelowna, where residents elect councillors to represent defined geographic areas?
Answer: Undecided

AFFORDABILITY

Which actions would you prioritize to make housing more affordable in Kelowna?
Answer:
- Speed up and simplify housing approvals
- Allow more housing in areas with infrastructure and services
- Reduce development fees, with a plan to fund infrastructure
- Partner on non-market, co-op and affordable rental housing
- Use public land for affordable housing

Beyond housing, which actions would you prioritize to make everyday life more affordable in Kelowna?
Answer:
- Review municipal spending to limit taxes and fees
- Expand affordable public transit
- Partner to improve access to affordable childcare
- Reduce recreation and community-program fees
- Plan walkable neighbourhoods close to daily needs
- Support local jobs and business opportunities

Editorial note: The form requested up to three choices but allowed more. All submitted choices are retained. Conditional policy explanations above still apply.

SUPPORTING MATERIAL

No supporting upload or video link was shown in the original submission.

PUBLICATION AUTHORIZATION

The saved response authorizes OK, Let’s Vote / Gain Street to review and publish these answers with attribution, confirms permission to share supporting material, and states that the private contact email will not be published.