It is one of the loftiest political positions in British Columbia.

And an East Kootenay resident has taken its reins.

Regional District of East Kootenay Electoral Area B director Heath Slee has been named the president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) board of directors.

Slee, who was first vice president, replaces City of Surrey Councillor Barbara Steele in the top position.

He is the first East Kootenay politician to take the UBCM chair since Jim Ogilvie held it many years ago.

Slee said he didn’t know heading into the Vancouver conference if he would become chair, even though it is due course for a first vice president to take the job. In the end he was acclaimed, as no nominations came in from the floor.

“It’s a fairly big thing, I guess,” smiled Slee, when asked about the achievement. “A lot of people know where Grasmere is now!”

Slee said he intends to do the best job he can to reward those who showed faith in him.

“It means I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.

Slee’s acclimation was happily received by his fellow RDEK board members.

“I know he will do a great job and represent B. C. municipalities at a professional level. It is great to see someone from our area dedicate so much time for our friends and neighbors,” said District of Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher.

City of Cranbrook Councillor Liz Schatschneider made special note of Slee appointment during the Oct. 3 council meeting.

“I’d like to congratulate Heath. I am sure he will do a very good job,” said Cranbrook’s second RDEK board member, who sits next to Slee at the directors’ table.

“He’ll do an outstanding job,” echoed Mayor Scott Manjak, who is also the outgoing chair of the regional district board. “I’ve worked with him at the regional district for 12 years and you are not going to meet a nicer man than Heath Slee.”

The last time a UBCM chair came from the Kootenays was when Ymir’s Hans Cunningham held the position about six years ago.

Slee said about 1,800 delegates attended the UBCM conference, held Sept. 26-30 at the Vancouver Conference Centre, with more than 200 resolutions presented by provincial municipalities.

“There was everything from smart meters to policing to even a name change,” he said, explaining that a proposed name change hit the floor, with a request to change the name from the UBCM to Union of B.C. Local Governments.

“That was unexpected, you could say,” Slee said.

The role of the UBCM chair is to represent the organization in provincial matters and to chair the executive committee.

Among the more pressing issues to be dealt with is policing, Slee said.

“We’re paying a lot of attention to the policing file. It’s a big one,” he said, explaining that the provincial government is asking “the feds to come back to the bargaining table.

“The whole issue is over the funding formula,” Slee said, noting the “90-10” sharing is too onerous on the province’s municipalities. In short, municipalities pay 90% of the costs for a RCMP detachment, while the federal government provides 10%.

“As well, under the current contract the feds can draw a member to another area if they need to,” Slee said.

Shirley Bond, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and interim Attorney General of B.C., is carrying this issue forward to the federal government. “And we are in lockstep with them,” Slee said.

Along with representing the UBCM on such files, Slee will have a busy 2012 thanks to the upcoming November elections, noting that all the newly elected will need to be brought up to speed.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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