BILL NO. 29

                                                             Local Bill

       
                                                                         
                  3rd Session, 56th General Assembly
                              Nova Scotia
                         44 Elizabeth II, 1995

       
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                       An Act to Amend Chapter 3
                         of the Acts of 1994,
               the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Act










       
                                                                         
                                                                         
                         W. Manning MacDonald
                           Cape Breton South


       
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                       
       
                                                                         
                                Halifax
              Printed by Queen's Printer for Nova Scotia
                                   
                                   
                           Explanatory Note








         This Bill permits the Council of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to

            (a) phase in tax rates over five and ten year periods;

            (b) levy a special rate in former municipal units for debt brought into the
         amalgamation; and

            (c) levy area rates to recover outstanding debt and deficits.



An Act to Amend                 Chapter 3
of the Acts of                    1994,
the Cape Breton         Regional Municipality Act



         Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:


         1  Section 93 of Chapter 3 of the Acts of 1994, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Act, is amended by adding immediately after subsection (7) the following subsection:

            (8) Notwithstanding subsections (5) and (6),

                (a) the Council shall authorize the levying and collecting of a separate rate
            for the area of the Regional Municipality determined by the Council to be a rural
            area receiving a rural level of services sufficient to raise the amount estimated to
            be required to defray an amount not exceeding the area s share of the net cost to
            the Regional Municipality of providing general administration, planning,
            development control, building and protective inspections, social services,
            contributions to a school board, contributions to a regional library, industrial or
            business development attraction, and solid waste collection and disposal, including
            waste diversion;

                (b) for the five fiscal years commencing August 1, 1995, the Council may
            authorize the levying and collecting of a separate rate within each former municipal
            unit by phasing down or up the rate that applied within the municipal unit
            immediately before August 1, 1995;

                   (c)  for the ten fiscal years commencing August 1, 1995, the Council may
              authorize different percentages pursuant to clause 5(b) within each former
              municipal unit by phasing down or up the percentage that applied within the
              municipal unit immediately before August 1, 1995;

                   (d)  for the ten fiscal years commencing August 1, 1995, the Council may
              authorize the levying and collecting of a separate rate within each former municipal
              unit for debt charges arising from debt outstanding prior to August 1, 1995; and

                   (e)  for the period April 1, 1995, to July 31, 1995, set tax rates for the area
              of each former municipal unit that reflect the actual revenue requirement for that
              area for that period.


         2    Section 97 of Chapter 3 is amended by adding immediately after subsection (5) the
following subsections:

              (6)  The Council may levy a rate on an area to recover outstanding deficits, debts,
         debt charges or other items of past expenditure that the Council determines should be
         recovered from the ratepayers of the area.

              (7)  A rate levied pursuant to subsection (6) applies to the assessed value of all
         taxable property and business assessments in the area.


         3    This Act has effect on and after August 1, 1995.