Town should hold off on room tax
Once again, we can't help but think the Town of Osoyoos needs to put on the brakes in regards to the proposal from Destination Osoyoos for a two per cent room tax.
There are just too many questions left to be answered.
We also have to question whether this current council, which is in the last six months of a three-year term really has the mandate to push something as major as this forward so close to an election? What is the hurry?rnCouncillors themselves have been asking a lot of questions about how this tax would work, especially in terms of how the spending of it will be regulated. And yet the idea has been given three readings by council, which means it isn't all that far from being passed.
Our first concern is a lack of a new Official Community Plan, which was something that was promised in the last election, some two-and-a-half years ago. With so much pressure to develop, this town needs a community plan that gives its politicians a road map to direct future development. Without it, the opposite will, and is, occurring.
The money from the room tax will supposedly be spent only on tourism marketing and will be aimed at increasing the shoulder tourism season.
To our knowledge, there has never been a public process where the citizens of this community were even asked if they wanted to expand the shoulder season. Perhaps the majority of the community would like to see the pace of development slow? We certainly don't know for sure, and we can't help but wonder if our town officials know for sure what the majority of Osoyoosites want for their community?rnSo why not ask them? This idea can wait until after the OCP is completed, or after the upcoming election. Why not find out what people in this community would really like to see by making some of these controversial issues (such as Desert Park) key election issues?
What has council got to lose by allowing the public to give its input before the face of Osoyoos is changed forever? Once again, that brings us right back to what is the hurry when it comes to a new hotel room tax?
