JF Launier launches council campaign focused on water, taxes and rebuilding community spirit

Longtime Osoyoos businessman says the town must tackle its infrastructure emergency while protecting taxpayers and keeping more work local

Longtime Osoyoos businessman JF Launier has announced his campaign for town council, laying out a platform centered on water, responsible spending, support for local businesses and a return to the community spirit he remembers growing up.

Launier was born in Montreal but moved to Osoyoos with his family when he was eight years old. He attended local schools and graduated from Osoyoos Secondary School.

His memories of town include neighbourhood gas stations where the owner also repaired vehicles, full-service pumps and familiar local businesses such as Franco’s and Little Duffers.

“I don’t think we can bring those back,” Launier said. “But I know there’s a lot of flavour in this town, and we should be able to hang on to that.”

Water must be treated as an emergency

Water sits at the centre of Launier’s campaign.

He said residents are paying considerably more in taxes and utility charges while continuing to experience discoloured water and concerns about manganese. In his view, the problem must be treated as an infrastructure emergency rather than another long-term item on the town’s list.

“It’s a complicated issue, and to say there is one solution for it would be an absolute lie,” he said.

Launier wants the town to identify which municipal wells produce the highest manganese levels and determine whether the worst-performing wells can be taken out of service during periods of lower demand.

He also proposed collecting reports from residents and mapping where discoloured water is most frequently occurring. That information, he said, could help engineers determine whether particular wells, supply lines or sections of pipe are contributing to the problem.

“First, we have to analyze where the problem is coming from,” he said.

Possible responses could include replacing or lining problem pipes, although Launier acknowledged that engineering work would be needed before deciding on a solution.

He also wants council to examine the engineering advice the town has already received, including which alternatives were considered and why particular options were recommended.

Launier said the cost of repairing Osoyoos’ water system should not fall entirely on the town’s roughly 5,000 residents. As a resort community, border town and tourism corridor at the junction of two major highways, he believes Osoyoos has a strong case for provincial and federal assistance.

He would also explore hiring someone dedicated to finding grants and preparing applications, arguing that the position could pay for itself if it helped secure substantial infrastructure funding.

Launier identified the Osoyoos Indian Band as an important regional partner and said cooperation between governments, residents and neighbouring communities would strengthen the case for outside funding.

A closer look at taxes and reserves

Launier has been an outspoken critic of recent property-tax increases. While he accepts that Osoyoos may previously have kept taxes too low to meet its long-term needs, he believes the increases have now placed too much pressure on residents—particularly seniors living on fixed incomes.

He also questioned the separation of water and sewer charges from property taxes, saying residents ultimately pay the entire bill regardless of how the charges appear on paper.

Launier said he has studied the municipal budget closely and believes council should consider reducing the amount transferred into reserves while urgent infrastructure repairs are required.

“Reserves are meant for a rainy day,” he said. “The crazy thing is, we are in the rainy day right now.”

His proposal would redirect approximately $1 million from planned reserve contributions while continuing to place money into reserves. He also believes additional savings could be found by examining individual budget items, with the goal of limiting or potentially freezing tax increases for the next several years.

Any such decision would ultimately require a detailed budget review and the support of council.

Keeping local dollars in Osoyoos

As the owner of a longstanding local business, Launier said he understands how money circulates through a small town.

An excavator operator buys groceries. A grocery-store employee visits a local salon. The salon owner buys tires from a nearby shop. That shop purchases supplies from the hardware store—and the money continues moving through the community.

“It’s a beautiful loop,” he said.

Launier wants local contractors to have a fair opportunity to participate in future infrastructure work, including excavation, concrete and hauling. He acknowledged that municipal purchasing and tendering rules must be followed but said council should still examine how more work can remain within the community.

He pointed to Osoyoos welcome signs being produced outside the community as the kind of missed local opportunity he would like the town to avoid.

Launier also wants Osoyoos to become more welcoming to new businesses and residents. He said he would support a community-led welcome-wagon program and believes the town must address gaps such as the absence of a local building inspector and the need for stronger business representation.

“Small businesses employ your family,” he said. “They make sure there are kids in the schools, and they make sure the sports clubs get their donations. They’re really important to our community.”

Tourism, events and short-term rentals

Tourism will remain a major part of the Osoyoos economy, Launier said, and the town should do more to help successful events grow.

He pointed to the community’s car show, Canada Day fireworks, motorcycle gatherings and past concerts as examples of events that bring people together while supporting local businesses. He would consider providing organizational help or seed funding for promising festivals where the community can see a clear benefit.

Launier also wants the town to revisit its handling of short-term rentals.

He did not call for a full return to the previous system and said he has not settled on a particular model. Options could include allowing rentals in certain areas or permitting homeowners to rent part of a property in which they live.

His larger point was that residents deserve a meaningful public discussion before council determines what balance best serves neighbourhoods, housing needs and the tourism economy.

“I’m not saying I have the answers,” he said. “I’m saying that you need to be heard.”

Accountability and experience at Town Hall

Launier said an approachable and accountable council is essential, particularly as Osoyoos searches for lasting answers on water, spending and municipal operations.

He also raised concerns about employee turnover at Town Hall, public works and the fire department. Launier said the loss of experienced staff also means losing years of knowledge about how the community’s systems operate.

Hiring the right chief administrative officer and ensuring employees are treated fairly would be priorities, he said.

Launier compared the issue to running a business: retaining good employees means keeping people who know the work, understand the equipment and do not have to relearn the operation each time someone leaves.

A problem-solving approach

Launier said he would bring a different perspective to council, shaped by decades in business, property development and automotive work.

“My daily job is problem-solving,” he said. “People never go to an automotive shop with a car that’s working perfectly just to show it off.”

That work, he said, has taught him to identify a problem, research its cause and find a practical repair.

His community involvement has included work with the Oliver and Osoyoos food banks, helping establish the local drag-racing club, supporting the Cactus Jalopies car show, serving on the Osoyoos Credit Union board and supporting local hockey, BMX and golf.

Launier also pointed to the international exposure Osoyoos received through his television work, which brought images of the community into homes around the world.

Ultimately, he said his campaign is about deciding what Osoyoos truly needs, separating those priorities from what would merely be nice to have, and rebuilding residents’ confidence in their local government.

“This little place has always been somewhere you can hide away from the hustle and bustle of the big city,” Launier said.

When voters go to the polls in October, he said he will be asking for more than their support.

“I’m not just going to be asking for your vote. I’ll also be asking for your help, because I think we as a community can put ourselves back on track.”