Amendments to the Municipal Government Act

Municipalities will soon be able to offer financing to Nova Scotians to improve septic systems.

Amendments to the Municipal Government Act and the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter introduced today, Oct. 16, will allow all municipalities to offer loans to homeowners in their area who need to install or replace their septic systems. Residents will be able to repay their loan through their property taxes.

“We know installing new septic systems or repairing broken ones can be very costly and many Nova Scotians cannot afford to pay upfront,” said Chuck Porter, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By making these changes we are helping to protect our environment and the health of our residents by preventing raw sewage from going into our lakes, rivers and the ground and protect properties from sewage backups and contaminated well water.”

Quotes:

“These changes are an appropriate extension of the legislation now in place allowing municipalities to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their properties and upgrade their water systems and represent another tool municipalities may use to support residents.”

– Alain Muise, chief administrative officer, Municipality of the District of Argyle

Quick Facts:

• the changes will make it easier for owners to comply with municipal bylaws and provincial environmental laws
• under current legislation, municipalities can help with energy efficiency upgrades and water system upgrades
• the Municipal Government Act is reviewed every year by the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing and amendments are based on feedback from municipalities

Additional Resources:

Municipal Affairs and Housing website: https://beta.novascotia.ca/government/municipal-affairs

Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing Twitter: https://twitter.com/dma_ns