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BILL NO. 13


Local Bill


6th Session, 56th General Assembly

Nova Scotia

46 Elizabeth II, 1997





An Act to Amend Chapter 3

of the Acts of 1995,

the Halifax Regional Municipality Act






Jay F. Abbass

Halifax-Chebucto
Halifax

Printed by Queens Printer for Nova Scotia



Explanatory Notes





Clause 1 adds a definition of "emergency services" and a definition of "fire services".










Clause 2 extends the period during which the Halifax Regional Municipality must repay money borrowed by the Co-ordinator in designing and implementing the administrative structure of the Municipality from 5 years to a 10-year period ending March 31, 2006.







Clause 3 extends the period during which the Halifax Regional Municipality must repay money borrowed by it to defray the cost of severance benefits from 5 years to a 10-year period ending March 31, 2006.





Clause 4 permits an area rate for emergency services in a community to be levied on the assessed value of the taxable commercial, residential and resource property in the community.




Clause 5 repeals a provision that requires the Council to levy and collect a separate area rate for an area determined by the Council to be a rural area receiving a rural level of services to recover that area's share of the cost of providing general administration, planning, development control, building and protective inspections, social services, contributions to a school board and to a regional library, industrial or business development and attraction and solid-waste collection and disposal, and replaces it with a provision that enables the Council to set separate commercial and residential tax rates for areas that the Council determines are receiving rural, suburban and urban levels of services.


Subclause 6(1) replaces a reference to the Halifax District School Board with a reference to the Halifax Regional School Board in a provision that guarantees to the Halifax District School Board at least the amount of additional municipal funding that was provided to the Board in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 1995.


Subclause 6(2) replaces a reference to the Dartmouth District School Board with a reference to the Halifax Regional School Board in a provision that guarantees to the Dartmouth District School Board at least the amount of additional municipal funding that was provided to the Board in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 1995.


Subclause 7(1) extends the class of assessments on which an area rate may be levied from only residential property to residential and resource property.


Subclause 7(2) permits an area rate for emergency services in an area to be levied on the assessed value of the taxable commercial, residential and resource property in the community.





An Act to Amend Chapter 3

of the Acts of 1995,

the Halifax Regional Municipality Act



Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:


1 Section 2 of Chapter 3 of the Acts of 1995, the Halifax Regional Municipality Act, is amended by


(a) adding immediately after clause (p) the following clause:


(pa) "emergency services" means services related to the provision of emergency services, including fire services, emergency medical services, water rescue and assistance and protection for people and property in the event of disasters, including but not limited to floods, hurricanes, motor vehicle accidents and chemical spills;


and


(b) adding immediately after clause (q) the following clause:


(qa) "fire services" means services related to the prevention and suppression of fires;


2 (1) Subsection 3(11) of Chapter 3 is amended by


(a) striking out "five" in the fifth line and substituting "ten"; and


(b) adding immediately after "Council" in the sixth line ", such sums to be fully repaid no later than March 31, 2006".


(2) Section 3 of Chapter 3 is further amended by adding immediately after subsection (14) the following subsection:


(15) The Regional Municipality may borrow the sums required to be paid pursuant to subsection (11) and such borrowing is and is deemed to be for a municipal purpose within the meaning of the Municipal Affairs Act.


3 (1) Subsection 6(5) of Chapter 3 is amended by


(a) striking out "five" in the seventh line and substituting "ten"; and


(b) adding immediately after "Council" in the eighth line ", such sums to be fully repaid no later than March 31, 2006".


(2) Section 6 of Chapter 3 is further amended by adding immediately after subsection (8) the following subsection:


(9) The Regional Municipality may borrow the sums required to be paid pursuant to subsection (5) and such borrowing is and is deemed to be for a municipal purpose within the meaning of the Municipal Affairs Act.


4 Section 31 of Chapter 3 is amended by adding immediately after subsection (3) the following subsection:


(3A) The Council may provide that an area rate levied to recover all or part of the cost of providing emergency services in a community applies to the assessed value of the taxable commercial, residential and resource property in the community.


5 Clause 82(8)(a) of Chapter 3 is repealed and the following clause substituted:


(a) the Council may set separate commercial and residential tax rates for the area of the Regional Municipality determined by the Council to be a rural area receiving a rural level of services, for the area of the Municipality determined by the Council to be a suburban area receiving a suburban level of services and for the area of the Municipality determined by the Council to be an urban area receiving an urban level of services;


6 (1) Subsection 84(1) of Chapter 3 is amended by striking out "District" in the second line and substituting "Regional".


(2) Subsection 84(3) of Chapter 3 is amended by striking out "Dartmouth District" in the first and second lines and substituting "Halifax Regional".


7 (1) Subsection 88(3) of Chapter 3 is amended by adding immediately after "residential" in the seventh line "and resource".


(2) Section 88 is further amended by adding immediately after subsection (3) the following subsection:


(3A) The Council may provide that an area rate levied pursuant to Section 3 to recover all or part of the cost of providing emergency services in an area applies to the assessed value of the taxable commercial, residential and resource property in the area.

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