2nd Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
59 Elizabeth II, 2010
The Honourable Ramona Jennex
Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
First Reading: April 14, 2010 (LINK TO BILL AS INTRODUCED)
Second Reading: April 27, 2010
Third Reading: May 3, 2010
Royal Assent: May 11, 2010
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Chapter 18 of the Acts of 1998, the Municipal Government Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 452 the following Section:
(2) At the request of a municipality, the Minister may, by order, designate certain debts, or classes or categories of debts, and upon designation such debts are debts due to Her Majesty in right of the Province and the Minister, or the Minister's designate, may collect such debts.
(3) Money collected in respect of the designated debts must be transferred to the municipality or the public utility from which the debt originated, less any fees or other amounts prescribed by the Minister or prescribed by the regulations or as determined in any arrangement or agreement with the Minister.
(4) The Minister may, by order, transfer designated debts, or classes or categories of designated debts, or any part thereof, back to the municipality or public utility from which they originated and such debts, classes or categories of debts, or any part thereof, are the debt of the municipality or public utility from which the debt originated.
(5) A municipality, public utility or the Minister, or the Minister's designate, may collect, use and disclose personal information for any purpose under this Section, and such collection, use or disclosure constitutes authorized collection, use or disclosure of personal information for the purpose of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or Part XX.
(6) The Minister may, by order or by regulation, prescribe
(a) the terms and conditions of a designation of any debt, or class or category of debt, or the transfer of any such debt back to a municipality or public utility;
(b) the manner and timing of the transfer of money collected in respect of any debt to a municipality or a public utility owned by one or more municipalities;
(c) which debts qualify and which debts do not qualify for designation;
(d) fees or other amounts to be charged against money collected in respect of any debts;
(e) the manner and timing of requests from a municipality or a public utility owned by one or more municipalities respecting debts for designation;
(f) the manner and timing of a designated debt, or class or category of designated debt, to cease being a debt due to Her Majesty in right of the Province and revert to being the debt of the municipality or public utility from which it originated;
(g) such other matters and things the Minister considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Section.
(7) Orders, regulations and other actions taken or made by the Minister for the purpose of this Section are not subject to Section 23 of the Provincial Finance Act or any equivalent provision in any successor legislation.