Municipal Government Act Amendments

Legislation introduced today, Oct. 20, will enable Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) to acquire vacant, boarded-up buildings if they have been boarded-up longer than municipal bylaws allow.

This authority was requested by HRM, and is among a number of mostly housekeeping amendments to the Municipal Government Act introduced by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister Barry Barnet.

"The Municipal Government Act is the bible for municipal administration in Nova Scotia," Mr. Barnet said. "It is important that the act be amended regularly to ensure it continues meeting the needs of municipalities. For this reason, government responds to requests from municipalities to amend the act almost every year."

Other changes include allowing for electronic filing of deed transfer tax information, enabling municipalities to borrow the funds needed to demolish municipally owned buildings and amending provisions within the act so that they more closely match the wording in the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.