Special interest groups looking to increase the tax burden on their neighbours may have to pony up first in the Region of Queens.

Council discussed a new policy at their last meeting to levy a $250 fee for special interest groups looking for an area rate.

Mayor Darlene Norman says the fee will only be charged if council decides to take the area rate request to a public meeting.

Norman says anytime a public meeting is called it involves staff time, paperwork, and advertising and, just like any business, those costs need to be recovered.

“We need to be that, because the more we give away, then the more the taxpayer pays for things that may not be pertinent to them,” said Norman.

An area rate is a tax paid by property owners within a set district of the municipality.

Community groups can ask the region for an additional percentage to be added to a property tax bill to be turned over to that group and used within the community.

Council also talked about a change to the policy to allow homeowners who do not make Queens their permanent residence, 365 days a year, to also vote on proposed area rates.

There was some discussion about how absentee owners would cast a vote but in the end Norman says the answer came down to doing what was practical.

“You would have to physically, be present, in order to vote at such area rate meetings,” said Norman.

Council will vote on the motion at an upcoming meeting.

*A previous version of this article indicated council has already passed the motion. In fact it was discussed and will be voted on at an upcoming meeting.

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