City of Powell River Council has given first three readings to four permissive tax exemption bylaws that will waive municipal and other local taxes for qualifying organizations.
At the October 10 city council meeting, chief financial officer Malorie Denniston said the bylaws had been prepared in accordance with direction received from the city’s committee of the whole on September 10.
“This will exempt approximately $380,000 in municipal taxes,” said Denniston. “This amount is within the $400,000 permissive tax exemption cap established by council.”
Councillor George Doubt said he thought there may be some possible amendments to the permissive tax exemption resolutions. He said he thought there might be some willingness for change.
“I thought one possible way to change what we are doing is respond positively to all the people that have written us letters and said how disappointed they were that they weren’t selected,” said Doubt. “We could take the alternate path, which is accept all the applications that we received and divide the money so everyone gets an equal percentage of the $400,000 cap.”
Councillor Rob Southcott said he could not support the bylaws after receiving letters from Kiwanis and Sunset Homes, and having conversations with more than one representative from the organizations that were disqualified. Excluded from receiving permissive tax exemptions, as recommended by staff, were inclusion Housing Society, Powell River Inclusive Housing Society, and Powell River Sunset Home Society.
“It is absolutely clear that housing is a priority across our society and in this community,” said Southcott. “I will not support this first bylaw and I can’t support any of the other ones. I would like to see us go back to redividing this based on a re-analysis of the information and direct communication with the representatives of those housing providers that we disqualified.”
Councillor Trina Isakson said if Sunset Homes was factored back into the equation with the $400,000 permissive tax exemption cap, everyone would receive a 91 per cent tax exemption, meaning the organizations would have to pay nine per cent of the tax assessment. She added that if the inclusion Housing Society and Powell River Inclusive Housing Society were also included, that number would go down further.
She said she wanted to include an amendment to the bylaw motions to include Powell River Sunset Homes Society in the permissive tax allocations.
Council unanimously carried first reading of the first bylaw. Isakson then brought forward an amendment to the bylaw to remove 100 per cent and replace it with 91 per cent.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said it was her understanding that the intention of making it 91 per cent was to leave room for equitable distribution between all the approved proponents and adding Sunset Homes to the list.
Isakson’s motion to have the bylaw amended to provide 91 per cent permissive tax exemption to the organizations to accommodate Sunset Homes Society was carried, with Doubt and councillor Jim Palm opposed.
The three other permissive tax exemption bylaws also passed first three readings, with Doubt and Palm opposed.
The organizations included in the four permissive tax exemption bylaws include: Salvation Army of British Columbia Division; Powell Lake Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses; Seventh Day Adventist Church BC Conference; Westview Baptist Church; Evangel Pentecostal Church; Powell River United Church; Catholic Independent Schools of Vancouver Archdiocese; Guru Arjan Dev Sikh Society of Powell River; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of Canada; Parish of St. David and St. Paul; Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada; Alano Club of Powell River; Carlson Community Club; Cranberry Community Hall Association; Nature Trust of British Columbia; Powell River Academy of Music; Le Club Bon Accueil Society; qathet Art Council; Timberlane Fine Arts Association; Star Duster Hall Society; Timberlane Barracks Sponsor Committee; qathet Film Society; Far Off Broadway Theatre Company Society; Powell River Villa Soccer Club; qathet Museum and Archives Society; Powell River Italian Community Club; Powell River Lawn Bowling Club; Powell River Otago Rugby Football Club; Powell River Search and Rescue Society; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 164; British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption Archdiocese of Vancouver; the Source Club; Tourism Powell River; Townsite Heritage Society of Powell River; Westview Flying Club; Powell River Sport and Fitness Society; Powell River Curling Club; Life Cycle Housing Society; Powell River Action Centre Society; Senior Citizen Association of BC Branch 49, Powell River Sunset Homes Society.
According to a staff report, property tax exemptions for the above listed organizations increase property taxes for an average single-family dwelling by $92.
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