CALGARY – City council voted down a motion Tuesday to offer tax rebates to small to medium businesses.
The proposal was brought in by Ward 8 councillor Evan Woolley Jan. 25 and was tabled for discussion.
READ MORE: Small-business tax break decision delayed by council
In a decision Tuesday, a committee decided against offering the rebate, which would have averaged about $1,200 per business over a period of two years.
Only Mayor Naheed Nenshi and councillor Woolley voted in favour of the rebate.
Woolley said the plan was presented with the best of intentions.
“It’s one thing if council or committee decides they just don’t like this, but based on the expertise from a number of smart people in the business community, this—in the short term—was the policy tool that was brought forward,” he said.
The money was to come from the the Fiscal Stability Reserve, often referred to as the city’s “rainy-day fund.”
In the original discussion, the question was raised over whether the rebate would be effective enough to alleviate financial strain on smaller businesses.
After the decision Ward 1 councillor Ward Sutherland said even among business leaders there wasn’t a lot of support for the plan.