kelownaelections.ca

Todd Robert Sanderson

Candidate for Councillor

Background

Todd Robert Sanderson is a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CA) and certified exit planning advisor with more than 35 years of experience in accounting, finance, business advice, and organizational leadership. He describes himself as "a Kelowna/Rutland Boy."

Sanderson served as a partner with two of Canada's leading accounting firms and has shared his experience through post-secondary teaching. He is the owner of Sanderson.ca and an accounting consultant based in Kelowna.

His community leadership record includes serving as president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, president of the Downtown Kelowna Association, and founder and first president of the Uptown Rutland Business Association. He was a member of the City of Kelowna audit team for five years and has served on numerous City of Kelowna committees. He has also served as treasurer of the Okanagan Sun Football Club and the Okanagan Symphony Society.

Sanderson holds a degree from the University of Victoria (1988–1991).

2026 Campaign

Sanderson announced his candidacy on September 8, 2026. His campaign tagline is "Experienced Leadership. Responsible Decisions. Open Government." He states: "I am running for Council to bring experienced, independent and financially responsible leadership to City Hall—with a particular commitment to rebuilding transparency and public trust."

His five stated priorities are: (1) Rebuilding Transparency and Public Trust; (2) Housing Affordability and Responsible Growth; (3) Traffic, Transportation and Infrastructure; (4) Homelessness, Addiction and Community Safety; (5) Taxes, Spending and Financial Accountability.

Sanderson has stated he will not use lawn signs or roadside campaign signs, saying: "As a CPA, CA, I believe financial responsibility should begin with the way I conduct my own campaign."

On community safety, he has stated: "Residents, visitors and business owners have a right to feel safe in every part of our city... We must measure results and be honest about which approaches are working and which are not."

He has also stated: "Kelowna's challenges will not be solved by slogans or political divisions... They will be solved by listening carefully, examining the facts and working constructively with residents, businesses, community organizations, city staff and other levels of government."

In an undated ForChange Kelowna candidate questionnaire, Sanderson added detail to his financial-accountability priority: a thorough "Effectiveness & Efficiency" review of City programs and expenditures, multi-year financial and infrastructure planning, clear business cases for major projects including long-term operating and replacement costs, and regular evaluation of programs against measurable objectives.

Campaign site: https://sites.google.com/view/toddsandersonforkelowna City-listed candidate contact: tsandersonca@gmail.com (https://www.kelowna.ca/city-hall/city-government/elections/election-candidates). The campaign-site address sandersoncaforkelowna@gmail.com is a separate, secondary contact; do not use it to dispute the City's identity anchor. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/todd-sanderson-for-kelowna

Questionnaire responses

Answers to the standardized Kelowna Elections questionnaire, sent in identical form to every councillor candidate. Published verbatim; received 2026-09-21.

1. Housing affordability

I would work to establish a transparent fast-track approval process for affordable, rental, workforce, and missing-middle housing, particularly in areas where roads, water, sewer, and other services already exist. I am prepared to support greater density and appropriate additional height, as well as reduced parking requirements only in transit-supported locations. I would also consider targeted reductions in development cost charges where little new infrastructure is required, provided the savings are tied directly to housing affordability.

2. Public safety

Police, fire, and bylaw services must have the resources necessary to respond to crime, threatening behaviour, fires, and the unsafe use of public spaces. However, enforcement alone will not resolve problems rooted in addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, so the City must also work with the Province to expand treatment, recovery, mental-health, and supportive-housing capacity. I would require clear performance measures and public reporting to ensure the public safety levy and social investments are producing measurable results.

3. Homelessness and the supervised consumption site

I would not support a renewal of the supervised consumption site; the 2027 decision should be based on publicly reported evidence showing its effect on overdoses, treatment referrals, neighbourhood safety, and surrounding businesses. Harm reduction should serve as a point of entry into treatment and recovery, not become a permanent substitute for them. My broader approach combines compassion with accountability: expand treatment, recovery-oriented and supportive housing, and mental-health services while protecting residents, businesses, parks, and public spaces.

4. Taxes and budget

A 4.37% increase is higher than I believe should become normal, particularly when many households and businesses are already under significant financial pressure. I would work to keep property-tax increases at or below inflation unless a higher increase is clearly justified by an essential need and measurable public benefit. I would protect core services such as police, fire, roads, water, and sewer, while reviewing other programs, administration, and capital projects for effectiveness, duplication, lifecycle cost, and value to taxpayers.

5. Growth and infrastructure funding

Growth should pay a fair share of the infrastructure it requires, supported by development charges, carefully managed borrowing, and aggressive pursuit of provincial and federal funding — not simply higher taxes on existing residents. Every major project should include a transparent business case, full lifecycle costs, funding sources, and measurable outcomes. My highest infrastructure priority would be a rapid-transit corridor along Highway 97, developed with the Province and regional partners, because congestion cannot be solved indefinitely by adding more general traffic lanes.

6. Transit and getting around

My top transportation priority is more frequent, reliable transit connecting residential areas with downtown, UBC Okanagan, the airport, major employment areas, and neighbouring communities. That means longer service hours, better frequency on high-demand routes, improved connections, and transit-priority measures along the Highway 97 corridor. Walking, cycling, and targeted road improvements should complement that network, with each investment chosen according to safety, use, cost, and its ability to measurably reduce congestion.

7. Downtown and the local economy

As a former President of the Downtown Kelowna Association and the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, I understand that downtown businesses need both a welcoming environment and consistent public safety. I would strengthen coordination among the RCMP, bylaw officers, outreach teams, health services, and business organizations, with clear responsibility for addressing crime, threatening behaviour, cleanliness, and unsafe public spaces. I would also support events, tourism promotion, accessible parking and transit, and streamlined City processes that make it easier for local businesses to operate and invest downtown.

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 2026-09-27.

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

I support the North Glenmore residents' call for a bylaw, including a minimum 300-metre setback from homes and schools. Abbotsford's bylaw offers a starting point: it limits operating hours to 6:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. or daylight hours, whichever is shorter; provides a noon–3:00 p.m. quiet period; and limits single-shot cannons to one firing every five minutes. I would also require annual registration and a bird-management plan, so growers can protect their crops while the City can enforce clear limits when devices disturb neighbours.

2. Prospera Place and MNP Place

Transparency is central to my campaign, and residents deserve to understand how the future operator of these public venues was chosen. I would ask the City to confirm whether an agreement has been signed and publish the evaluation criteria, their weightings, the finalists' scores, and a clear comparison of the financial costs and community benefits of each proposal. Once an agreement is finalized, I would make its key terms public and require regular reports to Council on costs, facility access and operator performance, with only specific commercially sensitive details withheld where disclosure would cause harm. Choosing a company with U.S. ownership makes that public accounting especially important; the decision should stand on its merits.

3. Highway 97

I support protecting the Highway 97 right-of-way so we do not lose the option of future road or transit improvements, but my immediate priority is completing the Clement Avenue extension from Spall Road to Highway 33. That project is in preliminary design, and the City currently places construction in its 2027–2029 capital plan; it would add another route through Midtown and could create room for more reliable transit on Highway 97. Before committing to highway widening or acquiring property, I would want updated traffic forecasts, a comparison with transit and other congestion measures, a full cost estimate, and direct consultation with affected owners. Any land acquisition should follow a clearly justified plan, with fair compensation and public reporting of the overall cost.

Registered campaign links

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

Financial agent: Self

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