Watch Those Tax Grabs, Eh?

I just read today that Winnipeg Centre Vineyard (just a few blocks down the road from our house) managed to stave off a legal challenge from the City of Winnipeg (under our mayor's "New Deal" proposal) to change the tax exempt status of the church's facility on Main Street at the Higgins Underpass (where most City staff would be afraid to even drive past).

How could they, you ask?

Well, WCV has this great new building, four stories high, and they've renovated the first two floors for a meeting room, offices, food distribution, and children's ministry. Which leaves the two upper floors un-developed at present, although they're dreaming of turning those into some sort of rehab housing for the many street people that they're reaching out to.

So, the City of Winnipeg decides that these two floors aren't "technically" for the use of worship, so they want taxes (and back taxes) on this. The amount they were demanding would have completely bankrupted the church, effectively shutting down one of the most determined churches in our city, in the area of justice for the poor and the glue-addicts (the lepers of Winnipeg).

It had to be defeated in several levels of court -- because the City was determined to set a precedent for taxing "unused" space in churches (including basements, storage areas, fellowship halls, and gymnasiums). It makes sense:

1. pick on a North End church that doesn't have a lot of rich people attending, because
2. you think they couldn't afford the legal bills to fight it, so
3. you can get the legal precedent you want, and then
4. go after the big churches like Springs of Living Water, because
5. even with the large numbers of wealthy people who attend Winnipeg's larger churches, with legal precedence on their side, the City would have cleaned up.

Thank God it was defeated in every level of court that it went to!! This is one of those "How long, oh Lord?" kind of things that really disturbs me!