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KHA seeks additional funding from the city

By Tim Davidson Sep 14, 2023 | 11:32 AM

The Kenora Hospitality Alliance is asking the City of Kenora for more money.

Currently, the KHA receives about $140,000 a year from the Municipal Accommodation Tax.

Spokesperson Stefan Robinson says that not enough if they want to promote events in the city.

“A minimum of 50 percent would be great,” Robinson said following his deputation to council this week.

“It’s something that meets the standards of the rest of Ontario.  The KHA was tasked to fund events in town.  We  need those funds to accommodate that.”

Robinson adds that they are in danger of running a deficit if they don’t get more help from the city.

“We’re in a downwards trajectory for sure.  The only reason why we’re still afloat is because COVID happened, so no events really happened here then.  So we kind of had a safety net, so to speak, because of COVID and no events were happening and now we’ve been able to use those funds to help with this.”

Robinson says currently the KHA receives about 10 percent of the MAT tax funding and under by-law, that won’t change, even if the city gets a new hotel, because their funding is capped.