Top Stories – Apr 20 – Taxes on Credit

Kelowna residents will have the option this year to pay their property tax by credit card, but there’s a catch. Customers who use that option will be charged a 2.3% fee, to offset operational costs. Council gave three readings to a bylaw amendment to include the credit card processing fee for the payments.

Coffee with a Cop is moving to the west side today. West Kelowna RCMP will be at Kekuli Cafe from 9:30-11 this morning to meet the public and answer questions. They’ll even buy the coffee, but it’s not a requirement to have one.

A parliamentary committee report makes 21 recommendations to improve Canada’s air passenger rights framework. It says the burden of proof should be on airlines to show why compensation should not be awarded. Soaring demand, labour shortages and poor weather led to chaotic travel seasons over last year’s summer and winter holidays.

Kelowna Council approved a long-term strategy to accommodate growing demand for court sports such as tennis and pickleball. There are currently 12 pickleball courts and 26 tennis courts throughout the park system, plus a club facility at Okanagan Mission Tennis. There are a minimum of nine pickleball and three tennis courts being added as part of the 2023-24 capital construction budget.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC is investigating an incident in West Kelowna that resulted in a man sustaining serious injuries. On February 28, police received a report of an alleged hit-and-run incident involving a pickup truck near Elliott and Gossett roads. The man driving the truck was found nearby and arrested but received injuries in the process. The IIO will determine whether any officer may have committed an offence.

Some 39,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees went on strike yesterday as part of wider labour action by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The CRA says the processing of some income tax and benefit returns, particularly those filed by paper, could be disrupted. It says taxes filed digitally will largely be processed automatically without delay.

West Kelowna Council unanimously adopted the 2023 Budget and Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw setting the tax rate at 5 percent. The capital budget includes $5.6 million for water and sewer utilities, $7 million for roads, and $8 million allocated to begin the replacement of Fire Hall #32 in Lakeview Heights.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a labour dispute between the federal government and its biggest union won’t be negotiated in public. Tens of thousands of federal workers hit the picket lines after the Public Service Alliance of Canada began a strike. The PM is calling on both sides to continue their contract talks.

The Quebec government is modifying its anti-tobacco law to crack down on vaping, including banning the sale of flavoured products. The new rules would also restrict the sale of vaping products in the form of a toy, jewel, food, animal or a real or fictional character. The government says changes are designed to better protect young people.

Sports

The BC Lions have just one player in the top 20 paid receivers in the CFL for the upcoming season. Dominique Rhymes comes in at #10 with a hard salary of $173,000. With bonuses he could make 193, which would put him at #6.

The San Francisco 49ers received inquiries from a number of teams about a potential trade for former No. 3 pick Trey Lance. He started the 2022 season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback before an ankle injury ended his year.