Penticton councillor and former three-term mayor Jake Kimberley has resigned to focus on recovery following a stroke in 2020.
As a result, the City of Penticton will be holding a by-election to fill his empty council seat.
“A stroke on July 1, 2020 left me hospitalized and in rehabilitation until October 9. Though both my physical and speech recovery has progressed steadily over the last seven months and we had been working toward a graduated return to Council duties, I am not yet at a level which will enable me to fully perform duties as a Councillor for the City of Penticton,” Kimberley in a release announcing his decision.
READ MORE: Jake Kimberley running for councillor
A chief election officer will be appointed in March according to the city’s news release, with the aim of holding the by-election in June to fill the seat for the remainder of Kimberley’s 2018-2022 term.
Kimberley first became involved in Penticton city politics in 1986 at the encouragement of business owners where he was elected to serve a one-year term as councillor in a by-election. He was elected again as a councillor in 1987. In 1990 and 1993 he won two consecutive terms as mayor with a third term in 2005.
Following the outcome of the fall 2018 municipal election, he resumed the role of councillor.
“I was delighted to hear on the night of the 2018 election that Jake would, again, be joining his elected peers at the council table,” said Penticton’s mayor, John Vassilaki. “Jake’s interest and positive contributions towards local politics in our community have been a repeating source of great assurance for many Penticton residents who have consistently and avidly given him their vote over a period of public life spanning some 35 years. ”
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