A Summerland business owner is urging the province to reject requests from the Municipality of Summerland for financial assistance or support regarding lost taxes on agricultural land.
In a letter dated Jan. 27, Ron Kubek, owner of Lightning Rock Winery, said he is disappointed with financial decisions made by Summerland council.
鈥淚 am deeply concerned about the mismanagement, wasteful spending, and lack of accountability exhibited by this council,鈥� he said in his letter to Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance and Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
鈥淪ummerland does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem,鈥� Kubek states in his letter. 鈥淭he challenges facing the district are not due to insufficient funding but to poor leadership and decision-making. More money will not solve the underlying issues until this council starts operating the district in a fiscally responsible and effective manner.鈥�
Prior to moving to Summerland, Kubek served three council terms on Vancouver Island, in Sidney from 1985 to 1990 and in Central Saanich from 2008 to 2011.
He said Summerland council has reduced its meetings from twice a month to every three weeks, and has also implemented a four-day work week. These changes have slowed processes, according to Kubek.
In addition, infrastructure projects, including one on Giants Head Road where his business is located, have progressed slowly, he claimed.
鈥淢y winery alone suffered over $50,000 in lost sales compared to the prior year due to closures and inadequate signage,鈥� his letter stated.
Kubek has also taken issue with projects including bike lanes and the solar energy initiative, as well as ending the net metering program and removing the early payment discount for utility bills, which was done in 2024.
鈥淎s someone with years of municipal experience, I find these actions unacceptable,鈥� Kubek said in his letter. 鈥淢unicipal leadership should focus on serving taxpayers, not the other way around.鈥�
鈥淭he message to the council must be clear: they need to address their own fiscal and governance failures before expecting provincial assistance.鈥�
Summerland mayor Doug Holmes said he has seen the letter, but it was not sent directly to council.
Holmes takes issue with some of the statements Kubek has made in the letter.
For instance, Kubek said the tax increase is too high, but Holmes says Summerland鈥檚 tax increases have consistently been lower than other communities in the region.
鈥淟ook at the facts. Look at the numbers,鈥� Holmes said.
Summerland鈥檚 property tax increase in 2025 is 7.25 per cent. This is lower than most communities in the Okanagan. In West 麻豆精选, the tax increase this year is 7.43 per cent, while in Penticton, taxes are expected to rise by 7.8 per cent.
In addition, the total tax bill for a residential property in Summerland is lower than for comparable properties in other communities. According to information from the municipality of Summerland, a house in Summerland with an assessed value of $850,000 would have a tax bill of $2,112.31. In 麻豆精选, a house with the same assessed value would pay property taxes of $2,332.61. In Peachland, the figure would be $2,536.57, in Vernon it would be $2,740.01 and in Penticton, it would be $2,937.47.
Holmes also takes issue with Kubek鈥檚 suggestion that the province reject financial assistance or support regarding lost taxes on agricultural land.
Holmes said communities with a large agricultural base tend to face challenges in this area as farmland is taxed at a lower rate than non-farm properties.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a question of fairness,鈥� Holmes said. 鈥淪hould residential taxpayers be on the hook for supporting farmland?鈥�
Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for Summerland, said he has also received a copy of Kubek鈥檚 letter.
He has responded to the letter, addressing some factual errors made by Kubek. One example is a statement where Kubek refers to a 7.5 per cent property tax increase for Summerland. However, the increase in the 2025 budget bylaw is 7.25 per cent.
This is not the first time Kubek has had an issue with Summerland鈥檚 municipal government.
In 2022, he called for streamlining or staff changes in order to have the municipal government run like a business, and throughout the community鈥漵 solar project, he has taken issue with the concept, suggesting the project should be managed by private businesses, not by the municipality.
