The 2005 L-N-G tax concession granted by Common Council to Irving Oil sacrificed the interests of ordinary people in the city to corporate greed. That contention in a letter sent to Council and the Premier by the former Commissioner of Municipal Operations for the city, Paul Groody who claims the public was bambozzled.
Groody writes he finds it unbelievable that wealthy financial interests and large corporations hinged their plans on a hastily forced vote of of Council without analysis and no thought given to the long term implications.
He goes on to criticise the provincial government under then Premier Bernard Lord for putting what he calls the terrible arrangement in place.
Irving Oil is paying 500 thousand a year property tax which, without the tax concession, would be around 8 million annually. The city is currently reviewing the agreement to determine if a request should be made of the province to have it overturned.
