kelownaelections.ca

Mike Rose

Candidate for Councillor

Background

Mike Rose (legal name Michael James Rose; ballot name "MIKE J ROSE") filed as a candidate for Kelowna City Council in the 2026 municipal election. No prior Kelowna campaign-finance disclosure is on file (2014–2022), and no previous elective office in Kelowna has been identified.

In an undated candidate questionnaire hosted by ForChange Kelowna, Rose described himself as a landscape gardener with approximately 20 years of experience focused on parks and strata maintenance, and said he has lived in Kelowna for approximately 22 years. He also described himself as a musician who plays bass and electric guitar in multiple Okanagan bands. These are Rose's own statements and have not been independently verified.

2026 Campaign

Rose's only confirmed campaign presence is an Instagram account, @mikeroseforcouncil. He has no campaign website, Facebook page, X/Twitter account, or phone number listed on the official candidate registry.

Rose's public policy positions come from an undated ForChange Kelowna candidate questionnaire. He said he is running to bring a wider range of backgrounds to council. He named addiction as his top issue, describing homelessness, crime, and violence as "byproducts" of it, and supports involuntary care plus, at the municipal level, bylaws governing where and how non-profits operate and increased bylaw/RCMP presence. He said Kelowna's infrastructure is falling behind provincially mandated housing targets and that he would lobby the Province and UBCM for infrastructure funding tied to housing. He also proposed more municipal youth programming (music, art, and sports), said he would serve as a full-time councillor, and opposes election signs as wasteful.

In the same questionnaire, Rose cited several city spending decisions he described as poor management — the Bertram overpass ("12.1 million" versus a "4.4 million" original figure), "a 1.2 million dollar dog park" that he said ran $450,000 over budget, and the sale of the former RCMP property at 350 Doyle Ave for "7 million dollars." These figures are Rose's own statements and have not been independently verified.

The Instagram account's content could not be confirmed due to access restrictions.

Rose was described as a "last-minute" entrant by KelownaNow.

No standalone news profile, announcement, or interview has been located; coverage is limited to roster listings.

Questionnaire responses

Answers to the standardized Kelowna Elections questionnaire, sent in identical form to every councillor candidate. Published verbatim; received 2026-09-24.

1. Housing affordability

Even with all the new rental housing being built these past years, rent costs have stayed high as vacancy rates increased. It’s my belief that developers building and running these new apartments now have a monopoly over the market of sorts and can keep prices high. I’d encourage construction of more purchasable low income units in the future to diversify ownership in the market. I’m willing to bend on development cost charges to some degree but things like proper parking are a must.

2. Public safety

I believe that the safety levy is justified and that an increase in bylaw officers specifically is needed to deal with the influx of service calls being received daily. Unfortunately health care is a provincial responsibility and they have undoubtedly failed us in regards to mental health and social supports for far too long.

3. Homelessness & the supervised consumption site

I strongly believe that addiction is a disease and it cannot be treated by enabling the user. Much of the homelessness, crime and disorder in our city is fueled by addiction and until that is treated with involuntary care, progress cannot be made. It’s also my opinion that our municipality should not be made to suffer because of provincial inaction. The problems caused by this site are well documented and I support its closure and welcome addiction treatment in its place.

4. Taxes & budget

I think we are sitting at a place with taxation rates currently that support our overspending habits. I would like to see more responsible infrastructure decisions in the future that lead to lower tax rates.

5. Growth & infrastructure funding

Much of our growth currently is being driven by provincial housing targets that they mandate we meet. These targets need to come with more funding for infrastructure if they are met. My main priorities for this growth are efficient roadways, water supply and treatment

6. Transit & getting around

Our main issue is getting people where they need to go quickly and efficiently. We need a second entry into Kelowna when the bridge is closed as a top priority. It’s not acceptable for a city with our population to have no access to the hospital or their job during a closure and this will only get worse as our city grows. We need a council that stops putting off this project, it’s something that must be built.

7. Downtown & the local economy

Downtown Kelowna needs to be tourist friendly. That specifically means it must be a safe, clean and welcoming area to visit. Unfortunately due to addiction and poorly located services that enable addiction instead of treat it, we are left with the complete opposite. A business owner cannot afford broken windows every week. My top priority is reevaluating what services we allow that encourage addiction tourism until our provincial government implements involuntary care.

Follow-up responses

Answers to the Kelowna Elections follow-up questionnaire on three live community issues, sent in identical form to every councillor candidate. Published verbatim; received 2026-10-02.

1. Audible bird-scare devices ("bird cannons")

It's important to support local agriculture but as our city grows residential areas often find they are neighboring farmland. We have the opportunity to introduce bylaws in our community to regulate abusive use of these and believe we should, but it must also be done in a way that is fair to the farmers.

2. Prospera Place / MNP Place operator and transparency

I believe in public transparency in regards to all municipal dealings. If necessary, legally sensitive information can be redacted from documents as required.

3. Highway 97 right-of-way protection

Right of way protection has been widely ignored in our city and is something we should have taken more seriously. That said, there is not just one solution in regards to traffic congestion in our city and simply widening the highway at the cost of other methods of transit would make no sense. I prefer to think of all the different methods as pieces in a puzzle used to achieve a bigger picture. I support busses, bridges, bikes, widening and overpasses.

Registered campaign links

From the official candidate registration record; presence here is not an endorsement.

Financial agent: Self

← Back to all candidates