TAXI VERDICT IN HALIFAX
‘THIS IS YOUR REASON? I WAS SHOCKED’ Passenger speaks out after judge acquitted cab driver, saying, ‘Clearly, a drunk can consent’
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MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
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VICKY MOCHAMA
Tempted to laugh off casual racism, the easier option is to just ‘get out’ metroVIEWS
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Rebate for empty office space may get the boot TAX REBATES
Program cost more than $80M over six years Ryan Tumilty
Metro | Ottawa
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The city is looking at ending a tax-rebate program that has doubled in cost over the last six years, returning more than $80 million to owners of properties that aren’t fully occupied. The vacancy-rebate program gives proportionate tax rebates to owners of commercial and industrial properties that fill all the space in their buildings. A landlord that fails to rent all the space in a downtown building, for example, can apply for a property-tax rebate of up to 30 per cent. Over the last six years, the city has given out 6,000 such rebates. The city has sent about $59 million to landlords over that time, with another $23 million in education property taxes also rebated. The cost of administering the program adds another approximately $3 million. In 2009, the program cost $9.2 million; in 2015 it cost $18.3 million. Wendy Stephanson, the city’s
deputy treasurer, said they’re doing consultations on the program this month, looking at everything from scaling back the program to simply ending it. The provincial government said last year that municipalities would have more flexibility in the rebate program. Stephanson said right now landowners have to provide proof their space has been vacant for at least 90 days and that they have attempted to lease it. She said the city can’t get into whether the landlord is seeking a reasonable lease price or whether they have actually invested in improving the space. “The quality doesn’t come into place at all. It’s really just trying to prove an indication to the city that you’re trying to get the space leased.” She said they believe landlords want their space rented, but they’re worried right now the rebate program sends the wrong message. “This program doesn’t necessarily incentivize behavior,” she said. Coun. Mathieu Fleury said he believes it’s time to end the rebate. “I don’t understand why we would give that type of incentive for property owners, especially on ground floor commercial on main streets,” he said.
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