Comox council is one step closer to giving two community organizations a break - a tax break, that is.
At Wednesday's committee of the whole meeting, council unanimously passed a motion to grant the Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 160, a 100 per cent tax exemption of their recreation/non-profit (Class 8) property along with their business (Class 6 property).
They also approved a motion to grant a request of a 76 per cent exemption for the Comox Golf Club (Class 8), up from a suggested 56 per cent exemption included on a permissive tax exemptions report to council.
"The reason I made that motion is that I know the Legion is falling on hard times right now, they're having a hard time with memberships and they have an aging group," said Coun. Ken Grant. "I think they do a lot of really good work in our town. If we're going to treat one group a little differently than others, then this would be the one that we should do it with."
Grant also made a motion to increase the golf club's exemption, which garnered support from all members of council.
"I happen to believe the golf course is a real jewel in our town," explained Coun. Tom Grant. "There's golf courses all over this country that are in real financial trouble. It's tough to get membership, it's tough to get people out, and I would hate to lose it in our town because a lot of our seniors and our young people in our town use that golf course."
Other organizations included on the tax exemptions for 2013 include the Comox Valley Children's Day Care Society, the Pearl Ellis Art Gallery and the St. John the Baptist Heritage Church on Comox Avenue.
A unanimous motion was approved to have the permissive tax expeditions forwarded to the next council meeting for first, second and third reading as amended.
Absent were Mayor Paul Ives and Coun. Maureen Swift.
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