North Cowichan taxpayers could eat $12,000 in municipal taxes owed by the defunct Chemainus quay and marina project, the mayor says.
"They're basically non-existent now, and they owed some municipal tax on their operations in the provincial water lease," Jon Lefebure said.
"They owe the municipality about $12,000. The motion from council was to pass it to a collection agency."
The Chemainus Quay and Marina Complex Ltd. went bust several years ago, leaving five Second World War barges foundering in Chemainus Harbor. Four have since sunk.
Lefebure said the final barge was still afloat as of Sunday afternoon.
Those barges were originally brought in by the quay developers to be used as a project breakwater.
The project ground to a halt in 2009 because of lack of money. In July of that year, investors launched a lawsuit against Shire Real Estate International, the private investment company engaged to raise money for the project.
Legal documents filed at the time showed the bankrupt Shire owed $7.3 million to a nearly 300 unsecured creditors in connection with the quay.