N.S. legislation aims to reduce taxes when natural disasters destroy homes

CITYnews halifax / By Chris Halef

The province has tabled new legislation which will allow municipalities to reduce taxes when homes are destroyed by natural disasters.

On Thursday, the Houston Government introduced the Municipal Modernization Act, which includes amendments to six pieces of existing legislation, like the ability to accept electronic payments at tax sales, more tools to support housing, planning and infrastructure development in HRM and updates to the Municipal Elections Act.

“We work closely with our municipal partners to support development and help their communities grow,” said Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr. “These changes reflect that collaboration and help to ensure that municipal governance systems are modern, responsive and more aligned to help municipalities support their residents’ needs.”

Government said the amendments will also provide the Minister with the authority to designate a child-care facility area as needed, remove planning barriers and speed up the development of critical child-care spaces.

The province said these changes come after receiving feedback from Nova Scotia’s 49 municipalities.

Related:

• Annapolis County wildfire destroys 20 homes, with more dry weather ahead
• Child pulled into water-filled ditch dies after flash floods in Wolfville

Value capped on homes rebuilt

The people whose homes were destroyed during the 2023 wildfires in  Halifax Regional Municipality and Shelburne County received some relief after the government approved amendments in January.

The province says the new rules are now in effect and will be reflected on 2025 property assessment notices.