Kamloops South Thompson MLA Todd Stone introduced a private members bill this week geared to changing how property taxes are assessed for small businesses, and another area Liberal is in full agreement.

Cariboo North MLA and Liberal small business critic, Coralee Oakes, was on the NL Morning News and said Stone’s bill would benefit both small businesses and the neighbourhoods they’re in. “What we had found is that right across the board, with the growth we’re seeing in a lot of neighbourhoods, like for example, some of the Urban settings that we needed to have to look at a split assessment.”

“So this means small businesses aren’t being charged for that airspace above their building.”

Oakes had advice for people that are affected by the tax. “I say to all of the business stakeholder groups to local governments, call the government because we critically know that we are seeing the impacts.”

“I mean one only has to start walking down some of these streets and see small businesses close.”

Oakes pointed out it’s not only the business owner that suffers when it closes down but the neighbourhood it was in also feels the loss. “These legacy businesses, many of them in their family for generations, whether it’s that grocery store, that Mom and Pop store that honestly you couldn’t imagine your neighbourhood without.”

“We want to see changes, we’re calling to have this bill put on the floor by the government by next week so it can meet the 2020 tax roll.”