The bylaw was first brought to council on Aug. 21, but councillors felt that more information was needed to make a decision, so the motion was tabled until a later date. On Sept. 5, Cindy MacKinnon, the managing director of
In the case of Pictou, the levy is a three per cent tax that will be put on people who stay in accommodations in the municipalities with the levy in place. The money will be collected by the municipalities and passed toMacKinnon said only licensed accommodations will be subject to the levy. In the MOPC, she estimates that would be roughly 15 businesses.
MacKinnon pointed to the other municipalities throughout Nova Scotia and Canada implementing this levy in response. backs up MacKinnon's claim, providing exemptions for students in post-secondary institution housing while enrolled, and for medical appointments.Mary Elliott, the councillor for District 4, raised concerns about how this will impact the small businesses in the area, many of which already operate on tight margins.
“Everyone wins. The big businesses will pay a bit more money, and the smaller businesses will definitely benefit,” MacKinnon added.