CTF calls on province to dedicate sled gas taxes to trail grooming

WINNIPEG: In a letter to the Premier, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation called on the provincial government to treat provincial gas taxes as a user fee and channel gas tax revenues paid by Manitoba snowmobile riders into trail grooming.

"Snowmobilers should pay as they ride. They shouldn't expect special handouts from Manitoba taxpayers," cautioned Victor Vrsnik, CTF provincial director.

Snoman - the Manitoba snowmobile club umbrella organization - is looking for approximately $500,000 in provincial funding to cover trail-grooming costs.

But closer examination shows that snowmobile riders pay more than their fair share in taxes for trail upkeep.

Neither Ottawa nor the province spends a cent on trail grooming but will collect over $2 million in sled gas taxes this year alone. The provincial government's tax take from snowmobile riders is $900,000 while Ottawa clears over $1 million in sled gas taxes.

"Snowmobile gas taxes subsidize government operations without the benefit of trail grooming or other sled related services," noted Vrsnik. "Enthusiasts of recreational vehicles should be entitled to safety and infrastructure services for the fuel taxes they pay."

"Gas taxes should be treated as a user fee," recommended Vrsnik. "They should be dedicated to maintenance for roads and sled trails in proportion to revenues collected. The excess tax rate should be cut from the pump price."

The CTF has long lobbied for a reduction to gas taxes and investment in road renewal based on the user fee model.