Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
"Sigh" nothing.
The vacancy tax (rude name, btw, I have a home there, not a 'vacant' home) was scheduled to begin January 1, 2025.
A group of second homeowners sued the Town. The Town lost that fight and were not allowed to implement the tax in 2025, causing a budget shortfall. The Town spend over six figures on that defense and lost.
Why do you think the tax is active this year? I realize the Town councilors keep saying they won the court case, but look into it. You're being lied to. They lost and I have to pay $0 in 2025 as a result of the Town losing.
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The sigh was about Slava missing my point and having to explain again what I had just explained.
For the tax, I haven't kept up on it, that was the last I heard. If it's off again I'll defer to your knowledge.
But isn't this a case of the residents wanting something, doing what you suggest by taking action, and it still not being the right thing in your mind? Because residents have pursued courses of action that are against development in the past, and they get shut down by other levels of government. The town doesn't seem to have much ability to control anything the way they would like so blaming Canmore residents "for problems of their own creation" ignores the reality of what they've tried to do. Canmore is what it is now because of powerful wealthy people making the decisions(mostly poor ones - Stewart Creek as an example), not the locals. You can decide that's OK, but it means it isn't the fault of citizens to have ended up where they are.