Council to decide on 2010 tax exemptions
By Andrew Zwicker
Ringo Starr may not have been a Rosslander, but he sure seems to have gotten the sentiment that allows our little city of 3,200 some-odd fine folks punch well above its weight when it comes to our quality of life. Indeed Rossland is a City in which service groups, organizations and societies get by…with a little help from their friends.
In a committee of the whole meeting last week, council discussed this year’s crop of groups applying for permissive municipal tax exemptions. There are two types of tax exemptions allowed under the Community Charter: general statutory exemptions under section 220 of the community charter cover a host of exemptions including such items as places of worship, cemeteries, sewage treatment plants and hospitals; in the case of hospitals and churches, however, just the land situated immediately under the building is exempt from taxes. Permissive tax exemptions, which were on the COW meeting agenda on Monday night, allow a council (by bylaw in accordance with section 224 of the Community Charter) to exempt land or improvements or both as referred to in the Charter from city taxes. In 2009 Rossland City Council established a policy which establishes an application process and eligibility criteria for granting permissive tax exemptions to community groups in Rossland. This year 11 applicants applied for total tax roll exemptions of $29,657. If exemptions are granted this money is not lost revenue to the city as it is made up and shared among the remaining taxable properties. This year’s applicants were:
(listed as: Society, tax assessment, tax exemption)
- Rossland Childcare Society – $327,000 – $1,929
- Rossland Light Opera Players – $155,800 – $1,572
- Rossland Health Care Auxiliary Society – $187,200 – $1, 889
- Royal Canadian Legion – $155,700 – $1,571 and a second assessment of $219,200 -$1,293
- Roman Catholic Parish of Nelson $487,700- $2,877
- Roman “Catholic Parish of Nelson $256,400 – $1,513 And $126,500 – $ 746
- United Church of Canada -$495,800 – $2,925
- Rossland Congregation of Jehovah’s Witness – $344,900 – $2,035
- Rossland Swimming Pool Society $173,000 – $1,745 and $131,000 – $ 773
- Golden City Manors Society -$843,000 – $4,974
- MFA Leasing (Emcon lot)-Washington St. $378,100 – $3,815
MUNICIPAL TAX TOTAL $29,657 Through the Committee of the Whole process, the recommendation was made that City Council, in their next regular council meeting, approve all of the tax exemptions as applied for apart from the Royal Canadian Legion’s Class 6 property for $1,571 application and the Class 1 application for $1,513 by the Roman Catholic Church. This portion of the Royal Canadian Legion’s application was also denied last year due to commercial activities taking place on the property. In the case of the Catholic Church’s application, the manse is currently not being used for church activities and thus was not included.
