News Release
HRM Residents Facing $5 million in Additional Taxes if Province Fails to Act
(Wednesday, April 26/06)-- HRM residents may have to pay at least $5 million dollars initially in new tax dollars each year if the provincial government fails to push for adoption of Bill 221 in the coming session of the Nova Scotia Legislature, Mayor Peter Kelly said today.
In addition, Mayor Kelly said the movement of waste from one region to another without intra-municipal agreements, places at risk the sustainability and continuance of Nova Scotia’s seven waste management regions and the province’s own waste management strategy. Mayor Kelly met today with Environment Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson to urge the province to seek the approval of the bill when the Legislature meets next week.
Adoption of Bill 221 would require municipalities /regions to have intra- municipal agreements for the movement of waste between, and among, the seven waste management regions in Nova Scotia. The legislation would allow each municipality /region to administer the movement of waste - and take legal action when, and if, they document waste flowing to a region with whom they don't have an agreement. The legislation would re- enforce the financial ability of the Region to sustain the solid waste management system.
The Mayor said if the province fails to show leadership and the legislation is not adopted, HRM is at risk of losing at least half or more of the $10 million in annual tipping fee revenues, which finances 25 per cent of the municipality’s waste management system. HRM has invested over $100 million in the system in the past 10 years for its system, and the debentures to borrow those funds were issued through the province’s Municipal Finance Corporation.
"The loss of tipping fee revenue would have to be made up through a significant property tax increase. Our system, which was developed to conform with the province’s own environmental regulations, costs the taxpayers about $35 million a year to operate, he said. "In addition, HRM has liabilities of approximately $9.5 million annually in contributions to Reserves and for debt re-payment for the solid waste system."
Mayor Kelly said the Government of Nova Scotia prides itself on being the first province in Canada to achieve 50 per cent waste diversion, but this would not have happened if not for HRM’s lead and performance in this field.
"The Nova Scotia government fails to appreciate what is at stake here. They need to step forward and protect the significant public investment in each of the seven waste regional strategies," he said. "If not, taxpayers of HRM will be in jeopardy to the financial profit of a major international waste management firm with a privately controlled landfill in Nova Scotia."
In the interim, Mayor Kelly said HRM is exploring the possibility of requiring licensing permits for Commercial Waste Haulers to ensure solid waste collected within the municipality is processed at HRM-owned or contracted facilities.
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Mayor Peter Kelly
490-4010
