BLIND RIVER – Town council in Blind River has approved a 4 percent levy for travellers paying for short-term accommodation in the town.
The Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) was introduced in Ontario and allows municipalities individually to levy it for visitors looking for a place to stay overnight for less than 30 days at a motel, hotel, inn or bed and breakfast.
The issue came to council at its regular Monday evening meeting. The MAT would be collected by the owner of the facility being used and would go towards a provincial fund to assist in paying for municipal services.
Karen Bittner, the town’s director of facilities and community services, said the levy has been approved in many Ontario communities to cover the cost of regular services such as infrastructure upgrades.
“This bylaw is the final piece of a project we’ve been working on for close to a year and a half,” Bittner told council.
“This allows the municipality to earn revenue. The funds generated from the Municipal Accommodation Tax go into a tourism coffer where we can draw from that instead of coming to council each year for funds out of the capital budget.”
“It’s not a tax on the Blind River property owner, it’s a tax for users,” Bittner said.
Council unanimously approved the bylaw.
