Sutherland said courses inside the city are paying a large portion of their annual income in taxes because courses are taxed based on their annual property assessments, regardless of their seasonal operations.
The city can’t change how courses are taxed because the assessments fall under the Municipal Government Act, but Sutherland’s motion, which goes to council Monday, could see Mayor Naheed Nenshi write the province to request a review of how golf courses are taxed, not just in Calgary but across Alberta.
“Golf courses are assessed as non-residential property, there’s no special category,” Sutherland said. “For the green space they are paying for the land as if you’re going to develop it.”
Sutherland said courses outside the city are assessed in the same way but pay less because of their lower property assessments, often leading golfers from Calgary to spend their money out of town because green fees are cheaper.
“What I’m trying to do is actually fix a broken system….READ MORE
