City eyes $50K tax break for Sudbury Indoor Tennis Centre

The Indoor Tennis Centre in Sudbury is getting some tax relief.

On Tuesday, the city's finance committee agreed on aplan to exempt the facilityfrom the $55,000 it owes, a total that stretches back to 2016.

Since 1992 the tennis centre has had an agreement with the city exempting it from property taxes. But in 2017 the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation did an assessment which said the centre is taxable and needs to pay.

Mayor Brian Bigger says Sudbury's Indoor Tennis Centre is beneficial to everyone in the city.

"There's clearly a need for these types of facilities," Bigger said. "Many young people are dependent on these facilities."

"If the option is to not have a winter tennis club, I think that's completely unacceptable."

But Councillor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said any tax exemptions should come with a provision that the centre, and its volunteers, provide community programming.

"I would like to see some camps being provided and sponsored by the tennis club itself," Landry-Altmann said. " We have a vulnerable population that lives in Sudbury and will never have access and it's not even within their horizon because they've never been exposed to that."

"That is part of the deal that I'm proposing and the only one that I will support."

The resolution was passed but there are still many steps to take before the tennis centre will be tax-free.

City staff will also prepare a report for council about how the tax exemption will affect the city's property taxes, and a funding source also needs to be found to cover the taxes owing.