Full tax exemption granted for Camp Hurlburt

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Sep 26 2007

A youth camp is getting a break from Vernon taxpayers, but there are some strings attached. Council voted Monday to grant Camp Hurlburt a 100 per cent property tax exemption in 2008 although it has only received 50 per cent in recent years. But if the Eastside Road site is ever sold, the difference between the 50 and 100 per cent will have to be repaid to the city. “There’s some question as to whether they will maintain it. It’s an onerous thing they are trying to do with redevelopment,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham.

One hundred per cent exemption is now possible because the city’s finance committee recommended shifting Camp Hurlburt from the recreational to social services category. And that angered Coun. Barry Beardsell who says the matter should have gone to tax exemption classification committee first for consideration. “You just ignored them and changed it arbitrarily,” he said of the process established by the exemption committee. “It was to have a structure in place where people aren’t interfering.” But Coun. Patrick Nicol, who chairs the finance committee, defended the move. “Camp Hurlburt had this for years before,” he said of the previous council’s decision to change the camp from 100 to 50 per cent exemption status in 2001. “There is a social benefit to the entire community in the work that it does. It’s a social benefit for the young people who attend it.”

Trinity United Church, which owns Camp Hurlburt, had been pushing for a 100 per cent exemption. “It’s great. It’s very exciting,” said Loretta Bell-Hardy, chairman of the church’s board of governors. The taxes amount to about $6,000 a year. In terms of having to repay the city money if Hurlburt is ever sold, Bell-Hardy says that matter will be looked at by the church. Three readings were given to the tax exemption bylaw Monday. Besides Camp Hurlburt., a 100 per cent exemption was given to the John Howard Society while the Vernon Muslim Association was denied assistance because it’s mosque has not been constructed yet.