Tax Relief for British Columbia Legions

Whereas Royal Canadian Legion Branches around British Columbia have a history of community service, neighbourhood social service partnership, and are active contributors to their host municipalities and residents, including those with and without past or current military service; And whereas most BC municipalities in which a Legion branch exists offer a mechanism to relieve tax payment, but do so in a variety of different ways e.g. grants to offset tax payments, or exemptions based on different classes of assessments as defined and allowed by BC Assessment, or classifications of use etc.; And whereas exemption applications to municipalities depend on widely variable municipal policies and consideration of differential tax assessments and unexpected increases in property tax assessment jeopardize the future sustainability and operational capacity of Legion branches: Therefore be it resolved that the British Columbia Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing be asked to work with the BC Assessment Authority and any other relevant agencies to consider a province wide policy andor legislative change needed to provide exemptions to Legions in British Columbia from payment of property taxes.