CO-BUILD INITIATIVE
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEVER DRAWS HARD LINE ON TAXES: UNVEILS COLLABORATIVE ‘CO-BUILD’ MODEL TO HALT MUNICIPAL DEBT BLOWOUT
KAMLOOPS, BC — JULY 16, 2026 — Today, Mayoral Candidate Nelly Dever launched a high-stakes infrastructure platform designed to smash the status quo at City Hall, protect property owners from soaring tax hikes, and end the era of unchecked municipal borrowing.
The cornerstone of the platform is the Construction Co-Build Initiative, an innovative framework that unites the City and private developers in a joint-venture model to share the massive upfront costs of public infrastructure. Completely eliminating the single-payer system that treats Kamloops taxpayers like a blank cheque.
Under the current municipal model, when Kamloops builds a new facility, taxpayers are forced to foot 100% of the bill for expensive land, excavation, servicing, foundational concrete, and construction. Dever’s plan replaces this single-payer approach with a joint, proportional co-investment model alongside private developers during the initial construction phase.
Once construction is complete, the partnership legally dissolves. The private developer finances and operates their own space, while the city retains 100% independent ownership and operational control over the public asset, fully protecting our municipal union workforce. This brings private-sector budgetary discipline to Kamloops projects while slashing capital debt, creating a true win-win for taxpayers and workers alike.
“Taxpayers are being crushed under unprecedented debt because City Hall relies on outdated, broken funding models,” said Dever. “Our Co-Build platform locks down timelines, enforces private-sector budget discipline, and shares upfront development costs based on exact footprint size. We are bringing rigid fiscal responsibility back to Kamloops by leaving egos at the door and building genuine win-win partnerships with the private sector.”
The campaign’s collaborative infrastructure framework designates four Co-Build sites across Kamloops:
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Community Safety: RCMP Detachment & Community Safety Triage Centre
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West Kamloops: Kenna Cartwright Multi-Rink Complex
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Downtown Core & Columbia Precinct: Public Parking & Seniors Activity Centre
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North Shore: Tranquille Road Infill & Hub Revitalization
The Taxpayer Protection Shield on the Kamloops Centre for the Arts:
Downtown: The Kamloops Centre for the Arts (KCA)
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The Reality: The project has broken ground and is in the deep excavation and substructural phase. While the 2024 Alternative Approval Process (AAP) approved $140 million borrowing mandate toward an original $166 million capital budget, the total project scope escalated to $211 million before construction began. Given the main contract is active, this specific site cannot pivot to a Construction Co-Build model, exposing taxpayers to late-stage cost overruns if left unmonitored.
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The Policy Action (The Taxpayer Oversight Directive): Utilize Council’s general corporate powers to implement a strict, risk mitigation framework over the remaining project lifecycle.
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The Vision: Safeguard project contingency reserves and lock in the final budget through rigorous, real-time risk-management oversight. This active strategy insulates Kamloops taxpayers from late-stage overruns, protects municipal reserves, and ensures the current build stays contained while leveraging the Construction Co-Build model for future major capital projects to offset long-term debt.
Nelly Dever emphasized that this initiative is structured to protect the public interest. “Private partners will pay their market-rate, proportionate share. Taxpayers pay for the public footprint, and the City retains complete, uncompromised control of the public asset once the doors open. It is a clean break, a shared bill, and a massive win for Kamloops."
The full policy paper, outlining the legal safeguards, airspace parcel mechanics, and financial risk transfers protecting the city, is now available on the campaign website at www.pivotkamloops.com.
Media Contact:
Nelly Dever
nellydever@pivotkamloops.com
778-538-0024
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