Cameras could be rolling at Vernon city hall if one official has his way.
Coun. Scott Anderson has suggested that council meetings should be filmed and then posted to the city website for public viewing.
“It adds to our transparency. A lot of people can’t get to the meetings,” he said.
Currently, Shaw broadcasts council meetings but Anderson says there are some limitations because not everyone is a Shaw customer and council meetings are only shown at specific times.
Anderson would like to investigate the cost of filming council meetings and posting them to the web.
“We’re in the 21st century and we need to evolve to more transparency,” he said.
Hotel tax hiked
The City of Vernon is seeking a bigger piece of the tourism pie.
Council is applying to the provincial government to have the hotel room tax hiked from two to three per cent.
“If successful, the three per cent tax would come into effect Jan. 1, 2018, and the agreement would be in place through to Dec. 31, 2022,” said Kevin Poole, economic development manager.
“All communities that collect a three per cent tax are required to provide 0.2 per cent of the funds to the provincial events program. We anticipate the additional one per cent, of which Vernon would receive 0.8 per cent, would generate an additional $300,000 per year, bringing total tax revenue to about $1 million annually.”