For some time now, COPA has been encouraging the British Columbia government to follow Ontario’s agreement with COPA’s advice to revise its tax structure for private hangars. Readers may recall that COPA’s Special Action Fund provided the resources to convince the Ontario Finance Minister to change the classification of private hangars and the land on which they sit from “Commercial” to “Residential/Farm.” The B.C. government was in the throws of an election at the time and it became a waste to pursue the issue there until things settled down.
Contact has been re-established with the new government and a response to our recommendations has been received. It is apparent that the B.C. government has no interest in the issue. COPA’s letter to the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs, Suzanne Veit was passed to the Acting Deputy Minister, Bob de Faye, who in turn passed it to Brian Walisser, Director, Local Government Policy and Research in the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services. Mr. Walisser’s response is, simply “go away, don’t bother me”, but he put it in more bureaucratic terms than that.
“In late June, the Premier assigned a number of key priorities to every Minister in his Cabinet. In the near term we will need to focus on his work plan. I see no opportunity in the foreseeable future to bring your specific concern to the attention of the government. Please rest assured that I have made a note of it should an opportunity to review this aspect of our assessment regulations arise at some juncture.”
We need to create that “juncture.” COPA will continue to press the issue with the government and work with airports and the B.C. Aviation Council to turn up the volume. You can help too. If you are a hangar owner in B.C., you know what the affect of a commercial rate of taxation is on your hangar tax. Even if you are renting a hangar or leasing land at an airport, your lease rates are reflecting the commercial taxes. We urge you to contact your local MPP and put in your own words how unfair commercial taxation of private aviation is for you. Point out that Ontario has wisely recognized this and urge them to contact COPA for further information. We will be happy to send them copies of our submission to the Ontario government, as well as their response and revised regulation. Contact Kevin Psutka.