Follow the Church Money Trail: Rally for Fair Taxes
Follow the Church Money Trail: Rally for Fair Taxes – TUESDAY July 22, Kelowna City Hall
Kelowna, BC— On TUESDAY, July 22 at 3:30 PM, outside Kelowna City Hall, the Fair Taxes – Fair Future delegation—led by the Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists Association (KASHA), and supported by the BC Humanist Association—will rally Kelowna residents to demand an end to unjustified tax breaks for religious organizations.
Bring your signs!!!
Kelowna City Council has consistently refused to hear a formal presentation from the delegation. So now, the public will hear what council refuses to hear.
What’s at Stake? $5 Million for Kelowna Tax Payers to Fund Religious organizations in Kelowna currently enjoy sweeping property tax exemptions under Policy #327.
As a result, approximately $5 million over the term is shifted onto the shoulders of local taxpayers to support public schools, libraries, hospitals, and essential city services.
Where Does the Church Money Go?
Publicly available CRA data shows that many tax-exempt churches divert large sums to international missions, political lobbying, and causes that do not reflect community values or support local services:
• Evangel Tabernacle (2023–24): Exempted from $63,183 in property tax; donated $289,000 (just $49,444 to Kelowna causes).
• Trinity Baptist Church (2023–24): Exempted from $145,632 in property tax; donated $221,876 (only $35,849 stayed in Kelowna).
• Willow Park Church (2023–24): Exempted from $73,067 in property tax; donated $274,732—$0 to Kelowna initiatives.
Discrimination Still Gets a Discount
Many of these groups enforce policies that marginalize 2SLGBTQIA+ people, or restrict membership or public use of their facilities based on gender or belief. These practices directly contradict the City of Kelowna’s2040 Official Community Plan and would disqualify them from most other public subsidies.
A Broken Policy for a Changing City
Kelowna has changed—85% of residents do not attend religious services. Yet religious groups still benefit from tax exemptions designed for a time when they served as community hubs. Some now rent their tax-free properties out for profit, further distorting the purpose of the exemption.
What We’re Demanding
The delegation calls on City Council to:
• Pause all five-year tax exemptions for religious organizations under Policy #327 this fall.
• Approve only a temporary one-year exemption for 2025.
• Establish a community-based task force in 2026 to review and modernize exemption criteria.
Rally Details
• What: Fair Taxes – Fair Future Rally
• When: Tuesday, July 22 at 3:30 PM
• Where: Outside Kelowna City Hall in front of Water street entrance.
• Why: City Council meets at 4:00 PM. We’ll be outside, asking them—and the public—to listen.
It’s time to ask: Why are Kelowna taxpayers indirectly funding exclusion, foreign missions, and tax-free profits?
Join us and demand fairness for all!
