By Chris Shannon
SYDNEY MINES - Operators of bed and breakfasts and small motels rallied together Sunday to pressure local politicians to take another look at the room levy bylaw passed by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality last month, as well as the law that will be proclaimed by the province on April 1.
During the meeting, held at the former town hall in Sydney Mines, several tourism operators expressed frustration with Destination Cape Breton Association , the group that will collect the 1.5 per cent levy, which could translate into as much as $700,000 annually for general marketing initiatives for Cape Breton Island.
"You've been lied to by Destination Cape Breton," said Cyril Oliver of Becky's Bed and Breakfast in Reserve Mines. Oliver, like many others at the meeting, said the regional tourism industry association misled councillors in believing there was wide-ranging support for the room levy.
In a May 2005 presentation to CBRM council, a survey undertaken by Destination Cape Breton showed 92 per cent of the operators in the municipality who responded were in favour of the levy, although the survey received a poor response overall. The poll showed support ranging from 98 per cent support in Victoria County to 75 per cent support in Inverness County.
"It's up to you gentlemen to go back and get this amended. I don't care how you do it," Oliver told CBRM councillors Gordon MacLeod, Clarence Prince, Wes Stubbert and Richard Fogarty, who were in the audience.
The levy as it is proposed now will be charged on all fixed-roof accommodations charging more than $20 a night.
The operators, many of whom aren't totally against the
concept of the levy, want their small businesses exempt from having to
pay it, as is the case in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The levy bylaw in Halifax excludes operators that have
20 or fewer rooms, people who need the accommodation to visit family members
in hospital, and students.
MacLeod, a levy supporter, said it's a provincial responsibility and the CBRM was only giving approval for Destination Cape Breton to collect the money. He said the business owners are talking to the wrong politicians. "It's the MLAs you should be talking to," MacLeod said, speaking directly to Oliver, who responded by saying in a raised voice that the councillors should fight for the operators' cause because they represent them on the local level. MacLeod said he wasn't even clear why the room levy came to the municipal council in the first place. "It's a provincial issue. We're powerless to stop this levy."
Prince, who also voted for the levy, questioned the sudden move by the bed and breakfast operators. He said no one was present during the public hearing to approve the levy bylaw at the Feb. 21 council meeting. Prince also noted that from the time of the Destination Cape Breton presentation last year to council's meeting last month, he hadn't heard of any complaints within the industry.
The group of bed and breakfast owners now hopes to set up a special meeting with the CBRM council as soon as possible to have their concerns heard. Some are very skeptical of how effective the money collected by Destination Cape Breton will be in boosting tourist traffic at their small businesses.
"That's a lot of money for Destination Cape Breton. They had a very big marketing budget before and they did not really do a great job," said Susan Oberli, a native of Switzerland who moved to Cheticamp seven years ago to run the 10-room Merry's Motel. She still holds out hope the law's proclamation this April can be delayed.
Another operator, Roberta MacIntyre, said she won't pass on the levy to her customers who visit her small two-bedroom New Century Manor Bed & Breakfast in Sydney. "It's going to be collected quarterly. I'll just count up the rooms and pay it myself." MacIntyre voted for the levy last year because of the potential tourism traffic it may bring, but added it shouldn't be a burden for small operators.
No one from Destination Cape Breton was invited to Sunday's meeting.
The room levy has been very controversial outside the CBRM as well. In Inverness and Richmond counties, the levy may have trouble getting municipal approval at all.
cshannon@cbpost.co