Council candidates put tax hikes, bike lanes in focus at well-attended Penticton forum
Published 3:56 pm Saturday, September 26, 2026
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
|
All 19 candidates running in the Penticton City Council race made their case in front of voters Thursday night (Sept. 24) for why they should be elected this fall.
More than 400 people packed the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre (PTCC) for an all-candidates forum hosted by the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce.
Voters will select six candidates for council when they hit the polls on Oct. 17.
Here’s what was said:
‘All traffic-calming must be paused’
One night after bike lane animosity dominated the mayoral election forum, council candidates on Thursday were quick to voice their concerns over the direction of road infrastructure in Penticton.
“All traffic-calming must be paused,” said Lyle Brant.
Former mayor Andrew Jakubeit said fixing “some of the problematic bike lane traffic tunnel designs” would be among his top priorities in the councillor’s chair.
Celine Lucier added that she would bring “responsible infrastructure and spending” to City Hall.
Lee Abel described recent infrastructure changes at Skaha Lake Road and Green Avenue as one of the city’s “executional failures.” He added that the new lane reductions at the intersection were installed without sufficient public engagement.
Kandy Sztepanacz also touched on the issue, promising to revisit the recent changes made to roadways.
Kevin Lefebvre pointed to his displeasure with lane reductions on some city roads and downtown parking inventory when telling the crowd the story of when he chose to run for council.
Tax increases put in the spotlight
Several of the candidates who are also small business owners used their 90 seconds at the podium on Thursday to point to tax increases at budget time over the last four years.
Council started its 2022-2026 term with a 9.5 per cent tax increase.
“The biggest thing that I would push for is an independent audit of the city’s finances to see where our money is being spent and to see where we can streamline costs and find savings,” said Janine Walker.
After its first increase, council approved year-over-year tax hikes of 5.31, 8.63, and 5.93 per cent in succession, “plus utility rate increases,” Jakubeit added.
Sztepanacz said she’d take a “hard look” at current city spending before considering any motion related to raising taxes or utilities.
Krystal Sheridan also highlighted affordability for residents and businesses, saying she would bring accountability to City Hall and help ensure dollars are spent wisely.
“I’m someone who asks questions, listens carefully, looks at both sides, and tries to be fair even when the answer isn’t easy,” Sheridan said.
Affordability took centre stage on multiple occasions, with Riley Thompson, age 26, saying he wonders if current and future generations will ever be able to buy a house.
“This is an important question for our young families, for people on fixed income, and for those of us who are wondering if our kids and our grandkids can afford to live here,” he said.
Davinder Sandhu mentioned affordability first when listing his priorities, promising to advocate for Penticton when working with provincial and federal governments.
Lucier also said making life more affordable is a priority, proclaiming Penticton “should be a city where people can afford to build a life, raise a family, grow a business, recover when they’ve fallen on hard times.”
Longtime transportation advocate John Cowan said he’d be the voice for seniors on council.
“Penticton has an unusually high number of seniors,” Cowan stated. “I can be an effective advocate for their needs and concerns.”
Political experiences championed
Subrina Monteith is running for Penticton City Council after serving eight years as the area director for Kaleden at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
“I understand how local government works,” Monteith said. “I’ve worked with provincial, federal and higher-level governments to be able to be successful, to get things accomplished for my local area.”
Incumbent Jason Reynen, who has served since April 2025 following a by-election, said he’s been persistent in questioning city decisions when he felt more information was needed.
Last month, Reynen presented a motion that prompted a full review of the controversial traffic-calming measures at Skaha Lake Road and Green Avenue.
“We need to sharpen our pencils in city spending because every dollar we spend came from somebody who worked for it,” Reynen said.
Isaac Gilbert, also an incumbent, said supporting local businesses amid the Canada-U.S. trade war would be among his priorities. Gilbert backed a regional economic development office at the RDOS in the wake of imposed tariffs.
“We’ve lost trade partners. We have a government that decided to have a snap election during a municipal election. And no one knows what that looks like,” Gilbert said.
Shannon Stewart, elected just over 12 months ago in another by-election, said she’s pushed for more transparency at City Hall.
“For me, this job is not about pushing my own agenda. It’s about the business of running the city, while meeting the needs of you, the taxpayers,” Stewart said.
Ryan Graham, elected with Gilbert on council in 2022, touted his work on the accessibility committee in bringing mobi-mats to local beaches. Graham also served as the council liaison to the library.
“The focus is now and into the future,” Graham stated. “I inherited bike lanes. I inherited a 3 per cent tax deferral from the past council. That all said, the job’s not done. We must continue to move forward.”
What about the referendum?
Abel made the upcoming referendum on whether to remove a historic land-use restriction around the PTCC a central part of his 90-second speech.
He was the only candidate to do so.
“We must stop the sale and giveaway of public lands, and protect those assets for community use,” Abel said, urging a ‘No’ vote. “Because once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
The referendum will be on the ballot when voters choose their next local government.
Candidates want a four-season economy
Isaiah Collins, 24, the youngest person in the race after graduating from Pen-Hi in 2020, said the city needs fresh, energetic voices to step up on council.
“I’ve heard that people want a prosperous Penticton that’s year-round,” Collins said. People want a caring community for everyone. People want a Penticton that has resilience for people built for times of crisis.”
Along with housing and affordability, Lucier said building a “stronger four-season economy” is what she’d hope to achieve on council.
“I’m not running because I believe I have every answer,” she said. “But I will work hard for you because anything worthwhile is uphill.”
Prosperity, resilience, accountability and care are what a local government should focus on for its residents, Nick Stulberg said.
“I’ve worked across key sectors of our local economy and helped shape city policy through the Sustainability Advisory Committee as well as the Housing Task Force,” said Stulberg. “I love this city. I’m ready to work for you.”
Lainie Greyeyes said she threw her hat in the ring for city council because she wants to see “those who have no voice in Penticton be heard.”
“I want to make Penticton plentiful again by building all those bridges together,” she said.
Greyeyes is part of the Penticton Together slate, which also includes Gilbert, Collins and Stulberg.
Standing-room-only forum
Close to double the amount of expected attendees came out to hear from the candidates.
The event was hosted by the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, which also hosted the mayoral forum on Sept. 23.