COBDEN — It appears the federal government is going after small campgrounds … which there are about 10 within the boundaries of Whitewater Region … and this council doesn’t like it.
In a sample of a resolution from Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant, Whitewater corporate services committee was advised that notices have been received by some campgrounds advising they will be audited and could lose the small business tax deduction because they may not meet the requirements of having the correct number of employees.
If the campgrounds do not meet the requirements, many could be charged triple the tax rate they currently have, she noted. And, it could also mean the campground owners will be penalized for the many years they received the reduced tax rate, as well as any penalties.
What does this mean? It could mean the closure of the campground, MP Gallant noted.
In this resolution, which the committee agreed the council should sign, it states the federal government should not do these audits until the unclear and unfair application of these rules can be resolved.
It also asks that the federal government recognize small, mostly family-run campgrounds as small businesses, and pay the same tax rate as other small businesses.
At the September corporate services committee meeting where this issue was discussed, Mayor Hal Johnson said this council has to protect the small business people.
“What happens next, they go after family farms,” he questioned. “I’m in favour of the resolution.”
