Calgary council approves tax break for Kensington legion

City council voted on Monday to give the Royal Canadian Legion's Kensington branch a break on its property taxes this year.

Council also voted to forgive the legion's nearly $30,000 in arrears for past taxes.

Under the arrangement, the legion will pay $15,000 in taxes this year — the same amount it paid in 2016.

The legion moved into its four-storey, $18-million West Hillhurst facility almost two years ago.

It has a main floor restaurant for the public, a members' lounge and two floors of commercial office space.

But the veterans' non-profit group hasn't been able to lease out the office space in that building, which would have helped it cover its higher tax bill.

The organization had said that without any help, it would have to close its doors.