Provisions of the new Municipal Act will affect equally the Island city of Nanaimo (above) .. .

Wherever you live...

This act means
a lot to you

OW much will the munici-

pal taxes on your home be
increased in the next ten
years? Will they be doubled
again?

The answer to that and
many related and equally vital
questions will be governed by
the stand taken by your MLA
at the forthcoming sessions of
the legislature which opens in
Victoria on February 7. For
this is the year the govern-
ment has chosen to introduce
a new Municipal Act — a
massive document of over 900
sections which will lay down
the constitutional provisions
for all cities, towns, munici-
palities and villages in B.C.
Sole exception is the city of
Vancouver which operates un-
der its own separate charter.

Covering everything from
assessments to tax sales; elec;
tions to abattoirs, cabarets to
cesspools, beasts of prey boun-
ties to policemen’s pensions,
and inspection of gas meters
to handling of explosives, the
Municipal Act has far-reach-
ing effects on our every-day
lives.

The government’s new _pro-
posals will deserve careful
scrutiny by all interested in
the political development of
our province. The labor move-
ment, community and rate-
payer groups, the CCF and
LPP must see that final word-
ing of the government’s bill is
not left in the hands of the
big monopoly interests — the
B.C. Electric, Consolidated
Mining and Smelting, Powell
River Company, MacMillan-
Bloedel, their powerful lobby-

By NIGEL MORGAN

ists and legislative and muni-
cipal spokesmen,

Otherwise the new act could
be worse than the old. Tax
policies that place the biggest
load on homeowners and small
businessmen are determined
by elected spokesmen of big
business on city and municipal
councils. Truly popular rep-
resentation requires democratic
revision of those. sections gov-
erning election methods and
qualifications. Obviously, this
revision will be made only if
the labor movement energetic-
ally campaign for it.

Major changes are needed
and all political circles are
fully aware of it. The act
needs consolidation and revi-
sion to bring it into line with
scores of minor amendments
that have been made over the
years. For months a “com-
mittee of experts” in the de-
partment of municipal affairs

as been working on a new

... And the Froser River town. of.

draft. But more than that, the
historical development and in-
dustrial expansion of this pro-
vince has created the necessi-

ty for a number of fundamen-*

tal changes in our municipal
“constitution.”

What is the Bennett govern-
ment proposing? The precise
details will remain a secret
until the new act is introduc-
ed for debate in the House.
Using its prerogative as the ad-
ministration, the Bennett gov-
ernment has chosen to deny all
Opposition parties a preview.
However, recent policy state-
ments by Municipal Affairs
Minister Wesley Black and
other leading government
spokesmen have _ indicated
some of the government’s
thinking.

Among likely amendments
indicated are these:

The new Act will combine
seven previous ones, thus pro-
viding. one consolidated act for
all classes of municipalities.

It will contain provision for.
three new types of local gov-
ernment—local district muni-
Cipalities, towns and metro-
politan administrations.

It will also provide for est-
ablishment of metro admin-
istrations by referendum vote,
which may be initiated by a
petition of 10 percent of the
ratepayers of any proposed:
metro area, or by two or more®
councils where one is the larg-
est in the metro area concern-
ed.

Local district municipalities
will have a chairman and two
trustees; villages, a mayor and

four councillors; towns, a
mayor and four aldermen;
ciiles (of under 50,000), a

mayor and six aldermen; and
cities (of over 50,000), a
mayor and eight aldermen.

It will set up a new system
of community planning, with
such plans to be conditional
upon adoption by a council and
approval of the Lieutenant-
Governor-in-Council _ (another
name for provincial govern-
ment control). Powers of
councils will be broadened to
allow for bylaws for “peace,
order, good government, and
the promotion of health, safe-
ty, morality and welfare,” all
of which have an innocent
sound but actually pose a
threat to some rather funda-
mental civil rights. Terms of
municipal office holders will
be extended from two to three
years, with one third retiring
each year (a most reactionary,
backward step).

Voters, as defined by the
new act, will be owners, ten-
an:s and residents who are
British citizens, with no change
in the age qualification of 21
anticipated. =

One significant proposed
change is in the qualifications
for a municipal candidate, In
the new act the candidate need
be only an “owner elector”
registered on the current and
previous years’ voters’ list,

The new act provides for
all surpluses in municipal rey-
enues to be limited by statute
to specific purposes. It also
eliminates the present provi-
sion which bars councillors
from voting on questions af-
fecting a business in which
they have a financial interest
They will be allowed to vote
where the vote is 75 percent
in favor.

No precise estimation of the
government’s new proposals

Quesnel, looking to new growth as the north is developed. session.

can be made until the bill is
made public. However, Te
gardless of what the govern
ment may finally deem it ex
pedient to bring down, theré
are. some fundamental pril-
ciples which should be includ:
ed. ee

They are, first, taxation re
lief, which. requires:

+ Establishment of a basl¢
minimum exemption for ownel
occupied homes, with a gradu-
ated system of exemptions
predicated upon earning powel
(and therefore paying power):

+ Substitution of a gradu’
ated business tax (with nom
inal charge for small busk
nesses) for the present trade
licenses which are highly dis
criminatory against the little
man.

+ Elimination of all “fix
ed” assessments.

+ Assumption by the pro-

vincial government of tax Te

sponsibilities for proving
government lands and _ buil
ings. :

+ Introduction ~ of the
“county” system tax collection
so that big industries locating
outside municipal or city limits
will have .to pay share 0
municipal costs like they now
have to in the case of schoolt
under the consolidated schoo
disiricts. ;

Second, there are certali
requirement for electoral re
form, among them:

+ Establishment of the
right of all Canadian citizen®
on the voters’ list to hold of-
fice regardless of property
qualification. 7

+ Universal suffrage for 2}
citizens with residential qual
fication over 18 years of age:

+ Provision for reintroduce
tion of the ward system 10
eliminate present _ territorl4
and class discrimination. _

+ Elimination of the right
of owners of business prope!
ties and tenants of commercia
premises to have addition@*
ballots and adoption of the
system used in all other elec-
tions of the one citizen, on?
vote.

Third, there is the need fo!
the province to give the mun
cipalities a new deal based on

+ Provision for a moré
equitable distribution of rev-
enues between municipal a@-
ministrations and senior goV”
ernments in order to relievé
overburdened municipal ta*
rolis.

+ Provision for social wel
fare costs now borne by the
municipal administration—re-
lief, hospitalization and hos-
pital construction, and maln-
tenance of charitable institu-
tions and welfare allowances
—to be assumed by federal-
provincial social insurance
pending completion of whic
‘special grants should be allow-
ed. 3

+ Return of a substantial
share of. all motor vehicle
Jicense fees and gasoline ta¥
to the. municipalities to helP
defray costs of . constructio
and maintenance of through
highways;.’ 2 4

Obviously, the new Munich
pal Act will be the most im
portant. piece ‘of’ legislation: 10
“come. before the forthcoming

*

FEBRUARY 1, 1931 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 12