New Brunswick is proposing changes that could help streamline the process for local governments to develop vacant properties. The province is introducing an amendment to the Local Governance Act, aimed at giving municipalities the authority to develop and impose a vacant property levy. “Local governments have been asking for more tools to help put vacant properties to better use,” says Aaron Kennedy, local government minister, in a news release. “We want to see more empty properties put to use, more opportunities for housing, and communities that can grow and thrive.” Downtown New Brunswick president Patrick Richard says the area welcomes the proposed amendment as “another valuable tool in the municipal toolbox to support the revitalization of our downtowns and urban centres.” He says encouraging local governments to address vacant and unused properties also encourages reinvestment and economic growth. “You have people who have been maybe sitting on a prime piece of development land for five, 10, 15 years that could be turned into housing, could be turned into commercial development or a mix of both,” said Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick. Proposed amendments Additional amendments to the Local Governance Act would enable local governments and rural districts to enter into a “community benefit agreement” with developers. The contract agreement would have the developer commit to providing services, local hiring commitments or funding to a community “to offset anticipated impacts from the development.” The province says this would allow municipalities to directly benefit from local economic development. The province also says additional amendments have been introduced aimed at building a more transparent and stable property tax system. Proposed amendments include changes to the Assessment Act where property owners would have to respond to a request for information within 45 days or lose the right to request a review of their assessment. Changes to the Residential Property Tax Relief Act could extend the residential property tax credit to secondary attached or detached residences on the same parcel of land. “All of these amendments are another important step forward in the property tax and fiscal reform processes to strengthen our local governments,” says Kennedy. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Anna Mandin For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
