Is the Sudbury BIA overstepping its boundaries?

Is the Sudbury BIA overstepping its boundaries? Money used to help finance an anti-casino group called into question. Alana Everson reports.

In Sudbury, another battle is developing over the planned new arena and casino.

The downtown business improvement association, which is funded by the city, is helping to finance an appeal by anti-casino groups to block the project.

Now, one local councillor thinks the city should divorce itself from the BIA.

Councillor Robert Kirwan says the BIA is operating outside of its mandate.

It's part of a larger group legally appealing the re-zoning of land along the Kingsway for a new arena and a casino.

"For them to become politically active now and to find funding to appeal decisions that are made by council is not something I would deny them, but at this point, in order to be able to do that they have to become independent." said Kirwan.

The chair of the BIA says it has every right to take part in the appeal.

Jeff MacIntyre is the board chair of the Sudbury business improvement association, Downtown Sudbury. "This is about the economic development of downtown. You are removing a massive piece, a massive economic driver for us. You are changing the downtown master plan, which is a major piece of economic development in the downtown. This is our mandate." said MacIntyre.

The BIA's funding comes partly from a mandatory levy collected by the city from downtown businesses.

“Basically a 15% top up of their taxes, so the businesses downtown are paying 15% more per year than any other commercial establishment in the city.” said Kirwan.

Jeff MacIntyre maintains that because the money comes from the downtown businesses, they should have the right to decide how it is used.

“It's downtown members’ money. Council doesn't really have, shouldn't have, any say over money that they weren't elected to represent.” said MacIntyre.

Kirwan says he plans to put a motion forward in the near future for council to cut ties with the BIA.

Macintyre calls the idea ridiculous.