VOTE JOHN DACOMBE FOR COURTENAY COUNCIL

Tax Exemptions

I will vote to remove the Downtown Revitalization Tax Exemption from all but non-market housing. Every tax exemption means a higher tax burden for other taxpayers, and with this program Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) are eligible, making property taxes on vulnerable seniors even more unaffordable.

Permissive tax exemptions (PTE) eliminate or reduce property taxes for eligible properties, reducing operating expenses for organizations that provide desired services to the community.

This is on top of provincially mandated tax exemptions for houses of worship and schools.

Most importantly, I will vote to remove the PTE from the Island Corridor Foundation. This is the largest PTE by far for City taxpayers ($89K+), and the ICF has done little to demonstrate they deserve it. In fact, they have demanded money from local businesses as this Council presentation lays out (starts at 2:48 of the Council meeting), poorly maintained their properties, and done nothing substantive to bring rail service back to the Comox Valley – something that is now well and truly dead here, due not just to lack of political will at the provincial and federal levels, and eye-watering costs ($1B+), but to two big gaps in the right-of-way between here and Nanaimo.

Unused ICF lands inside City limits should be handed over to the City so they can be utilized for public good, as laneways, paths and parkland.

As well, any organization which promotes bigotry, racism or conspiracy theories does not deserve a tax break from the City, one that increases the tax burden on other residents. That goes double for houses of worship and schools, who already get multiple mandatory tax exemptions. So, if any house of worship in the City of Courtenay promotes bigotry, racism and conspiracy theories - liked happened right here in the CV back in 2023 -

and encourages people to harass nurses, teachers and gay kids, they do not deserve your tax dollars.

To be clear, everyone is entitled to believe whatever they want. But everyone is not entitled to taxpayer-funded tax breaks if they are actively trying to divide this community and country.