Editor:
With Banff town council debating next year’s budget, it is the right time to invigorate debate if our business licence fees are allocated adequately.
I recently learned from its inception, the Town of Banff has collected these fees and transferred them directly to Banff and Lake Louise Tourism (BLLT) to market the destination and increase tourism.
While this might have made sense 30 years ago, it's time to rethink this arrangement. With a destination that seems to have reached capacity and ever-increasing costs for residents, the annual transfers of about $5 million for marketing purposes to this organization seem out of touch with the reality of a lot of Banffites. The organization itself with directors and managers seems also to have lost its innocence in the decades of existence.
I recently started a petition to advertise this issue and I’m encouraged by the support of a lot of local residents.
I suggest council takes a hard look at what these business licence fees could be used for to cover costs that are currently tax-funded and are inherently caused by the additional tourists that BLLT is encouraging to visit (e.g. street sweepers in the summer or finally adding a washroom at Bow Falls).
I'm aware that we're living in a tourist town and I don't have a problem with that, but I do think the need for this funding is greater elsewhere.
If you feel council should at least debate this issue to explain to residents why they think BLLT needs all these fees for their advertising budget, join me in sending your concerns to council or show up at one of the next meetings.
David Santerre,
Banff
