Invermere District
Invermere is a community situated in eastern British Columbia. The district is permitting the Online Accommodation Platform tax revenue funds. Therefore, funds are to be received by a local Destination Marketing Organization.
Invermere, a resort on the mountain, is one out of 14 municipalities. Officially designated Invermere will receive some tax by Municipal province and the Regional Distract Tax program (MRDT). The province government collects the revenue (tax) on sales, and it defines only temporary shelters concerning the resort municipality.
The Municipal and the Regional Distract Tax program has expanded for the highest year, indicating new Online Accommodation Platform tax revenue. The new OAP tax revenue precisely comes along online platforms such as websites. Also, it not only intends to entertain temporary shelters and websites like Airbnb and Vrbo.
It is enclosing private resident-run basement suite rental and commercial accommodators who fall out to use these websites for temporary shelter listings.
The money offered to the municipalities comes about the firm condition as to how to spend it. Thus for two years until now, usage has been related to tourism to promote it.
2018 BC Tax Revenue
However, at the outset of 2018, when the province’s tax revenue accumulated and disbursement started. Municipalities of the resort have been permitted to spend a part of the Online Accommodation Platform from their MRDT funds on cheap housing.
The BC province’s officials outlined that this change bears and allocates the temporary shelters, similarly offered that Airbnb and Vrbo have. They have the power and aptitude to change the indelible rental market within the given resort municipality. The officials are now under the choice of resort municipalities to choose the allocation point for the endowment.
As of the current year, nine out of 13 officials of B.C resort municipalities, apart from Invermere-panorama, have chosen to allocate their OAP funds to their local DMOs, while on the other hand, other four have disbursed the funding to the affordable housing program.
These four municipalities who disbursed their funds to affordable housing programs entertain Tofino, Ucluelet, Whistler, and Revelstoke. Also, one resort municipalities have allocated the funds to DMOs; tourism will receive the money. However, future options remain unbound.
Invermere Council memebers
In the most recent meeting, the Invermere council members have brought the matter under their discussion dated Tuesday, October 13. A letter was submitted indicating the issue. Subjecting the council to deliver the OAP funds worth $60,000 (last two years funds). The board agreed upon releasing the funds for two years.
However, the conflict has been the part ever since regarding the right decision to split the money among affordable housing and DMO. This still leaves a question as to which partition would have been more unbiased and impartial.
“Right now, if we allocate the money to affordable housing, it’s not clear exactly what or to who we would be giving that money,” said councilor Greg Anderson.
