There is hesitation among some members of town council to give the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau a tax break.
The Bureau has applied for a program that gives registered charities a 30 per cent cut in municipal property taxes.
To be eligible, organizations are required to be in areas zoned commercial or industrial.
The Bureau’s building, the former CN train station, has been zoned residential.
Councillor Andrew Hallikas is hesitant about supporting the request, saying it may set a precedent for others in similar settings.
“If we do something without really know why we are doing it, we’re potentially setting a precedent, and other people are going to want the same thing. I guess I’m still just a little muddled about the whole thing,” says Hallikas.
Mayor June Caul also questions the Volunteer Bureau’s eligibility.
“Sure, they’re helping out the homeless, but they’re not a community organization that is allowing other community members to use the facility in any way that they used to use it,” says Caul.
The town’s Administration and Finance committee made no recommendation in its discussion.
It’s leaving it up for the entire council to weigh-in on Monday.
