Photo: Wayne Moore - File Photo

Coun. Brad Sieben

Kelowna city council will wait until they gather Tuesday night to determine how to officially respond to the province's proposed speculation tax.

Staff put a series of recommendations on the table, but councillors couldn't decide how best to proceed.

They decided to give it 24 hours and rethink their options Tuesday.

Some of the recommendations include applying a tax equally geographically, a transactional tax as opposed to a vacant home tax, providing clarity on details and exemptions of the proposed tax and keeping any revenues from a tax in the city for affordable housing initiatives.

"I really take offence to the fact Kelowna is identified in this without any consultation what-so-ever," said Coun. Brad Sieben.

"The one thing I don't support in language is the notion of equalizing the tax throughout. I fully get the spirit of it that it may benefit Lake Country and the others, but I fundamentally don't support the tax at all and believe it shouldn't be there at all."

Mayor Colin Basran, a vocal opponent of the tax, reiterated Monday his opposition is not about trying to find homes for people squeezed out of the market.

But, he added the tax, as proposed, has many damaging impacts.

Basran said Kelowna may want to follow the lead of West Kelowna and Qualicum Beach who has said to the province "thanks, but no thanks," when it comes to including their communities with those being affected.

He says a letter should also include a recommended meeting with Finance Minister Carole James or Premier John Horgan, or both.

What council did agree on was, what is being called a "vacant home tax," could have disastrous consequences for the city.