Media Room

From the Councillor's Office

Councillors Wants to Clear Up "Misinterpretation" Over Proposed By-Law

(Wednesday, March 8/2000)-- Bedford Councillor Peter Kelly said today there has been some misunderstanding and misinterpretation by some media and the public regarding his proposal to impose a municipal licensing fee on ATM's (automated teller machines).

Councillor Kelly said today he would like to apologise for any confusion created in the minds of thepublic regarding this issue.

He said he has received more than 50 telephone calls from citizens who are concerned that his proposal means they would be levied a municipal tax or charge for every single monetary transaction they conduct on an ATM. (He said he will return all of those calls personally).

The Councillor said that interpretation of his proposal is incorrect and the primary purpose of his plan is to include ATMs in the annual licensing fees charged by HRM for vending machines, juke boxes, coin-operated washing machines, etc.

Councillor Kelly said HRM has four separate by-laws still in place since the amalgamation governing the licensing of coin-operated machines, which carry different licensing fees based on the four former municipal units.

The Councillor said he would like to see:

• the four existing by-laws harmonized into a single new by-law;
• existing multiple rates standardized; and
• justification for the rates to be charged.

Councillor Kelly said he asked staff to also consider new opportunities for the inclusion of other coin-operated or money machines- such as ATMs-- into any new by-law and he wants to see the justification for HRM charging the annual licensing fees that now it does now before any new rates are set.

"The whole thrust of my effort is to ensure fairness. Licensees should pay the same rate, whether they live in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford or the County and be held accountable under the same regulations . In addition, if we levy a municipal fee on some coin-operated or other money machines, then the by-law should apply to them all. It's all about fairness," he said.

"Once again, I apologize for any misunderstanding this may have caused the public."

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Councillor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4450