Two Kelowna organizations are challenging property tax exemptions for religious groups, arguing they should prove their public benefit instead of being 香蕉视频直播渢axpayer-subsidized private clubs.香蕉视频直播�
In an emailed statement, the Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics, Humanists Association (KASHA) and Advocacy Canada question the approval of the five-year exemptions. The city is not required to exempt entire properties surrounding worship buildings, yet this historical privilege remains largely unchallenged, the statement reads.
The groups note that under , religious groups can avoid paying property taxes on multi-million-dollar properties, arguing this is lost revenue.
香蕉视频直播淎s Kelowna taxpayers grapple with rising costs and increasing user fees, we must ask if public funds continue to fully subsidize organizations that provide overlapping services,香蕉视频直播� said Nina George, lead researcher at KASHA. 香蕉视频直播淭he vast majority of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 religious organizations are Christian. Why are taxpayers funding duplicate, multi-million-dollar properties that are often underutilized and inaccessible to secular individuals while some direct their savings toward political causes outside of Kelowna?香蕉视频直播�
George stressed this isn香蕉视频直播檛 an attack on faith but a call for religious organizations to contribute more equitably to the community.
A statement provided to Black Press Media from the city says that, , a place of worship is given a general exemption (by the province) from taxation for the church building and the land on which the building stands. It also allows council to support such organizations that enhance quality of life and deliver services to residents.
香蕉视频直播淭he City of Kelowna also recognizes the significant value of volunteers, volunteer groups and agencies to the spiritual, educational, social, cultural, and physical well-being of the community,香蕉视频直播� the statement reads. "This is not lost revenue. The taxation burden is transferred to other non-exempt properties."
KASHA and Advocacy Canada claim that some religious organizations redirect their tax savings to support proselytizing and political activities outside of Kelowna and that some donate to causes that work against human rights, including:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ rights;
- Reproductive freedoms;
- Dying with dignity initiatives.
Advocacy Canada香蕉视频直播檚 research claims that only four out of 37 faith-based organizations in the Okanagan are considered safe and affirming for the queer community. According to the 2021 Census, 54 per cent of Central Okanagan residents said the were not religious.
香蕉视频直播淲e believe that faith-based organizations that benefit from tax exemptions should provide tangible benefits to the broader community, ensuring their publicly subsidized status aligns with values of inclusivity, equality, and social good,香蕉视频直播� said Wilbur Turner, president of Advocacy Canada. "Public funds should not be used to support institutions that exclude or marginalize individuals based on their identity or beliefs,香蕉视频直播�
The two organizations are hosting presentations on the issue:
- Fair Taxes 香蕉视频直播� Fair Future: Rethinking Property Taxes for Religiously Owned Properties - Sunday, March 9 - 1-3 p.m. - Kelowna Downtown Library
- Zoom Presentation - Wednesday, March 12 - 7-8 p.m. - .
