Administrative Order 2019-005-ADM, Respecting the Establishment and Use of Community Area Rates in the Halifax Regional Municipality | Halifax.ca

Proposed Admin Order 2019-005-ADM, the Community Area Rate Administrative Order – July 30/19 Regional Council | Halifax.ca

Part IV– Expenditure of Funds
Approved Uses of Rate Funds

  1. A rate administered under this Administrative Order shall be spent for the benefit of the area for which
    it is collected.
  2. (1) Subject to section 32, rate funds may be used for:
    (a) community events;
    (b) community accessories, including signage, picnic tables, benches, and garbage cans;
    (c) community beautification and clean-up;
    (d) maintenance of recreation infrastructure, including local recreational
    infrastructure on municipal lands where the maintenance is procured directly by the
    Municipality;
    (e) recreation and leisure costs, including programming and equipment;
    (f) establishment and maintenance of seasonal recreation infrastructure such as
    outdoor skating rinks;
    (g) operation of small, local community centres;
    (h) grants where there is a contribution agreement in place between the community
    organization and a non-profit organization to provide for items (a) through (g), provided that such
    an agreement is approved by Council, unless:
    (i) the amount of the grant to the non-profit organization is two thousand
    dollars or less; and
    (ii) the cumulative grants that have been provided to the non-profit
    organization in the current fiscal year is four thousand dollars or less,
    in which case no contribution agreement is required;
    (i) subject to subsection (2), construction or enhancement of
    (i) local recreational infrastructure on municipal land including parks, trails,
    sport fields, play lawns, playgrounds, landscaping, paths and trails, and related
    accessories; or,
    (ii) sidewalks outside of the Urban Area as established by Council; and
    (j) administrative costs associated with items (a) to (i).
    (2) Funds used for those items listed in subsection (1)(i) may only be used if the following
    conditions have been met:
    (a) a needs assessment completed or approved by the appropriate business unit
    supports the proposed infrastructure;
    (b) the proposed siting for such infrastructure is suitable;
    (c) there is a maintenance plan, including identification of any annual funding;
    (d) the proposed infrastructure is procured directly by the Municipality;
    (e) Council has approved the project in the Municipality’s capital budget; and
    (f) the expenditure conforms to the Municipality’s procedures for capital budget
    expenditures.
    Covid-19
    33A. Notwithstanding the purpose and sections 33 and 34 of this Administrative Order, for the
    2020-2021 fiscal year, grants may be provided by the community organization without a contribution
    agreement or approval of Council if:
    (a) the cumulative amounts of the grants do not exceed $5,000; and
    (b) the recipient of each grant is either a non-profit organization registered with the Registry of
    Joint Stock Companies, or a registered Canadian charitable organization.
    Prohibited Uses of Rate Funds
  3. Rate funds shall not be used for the following:
    (a) the purchase of real property;
    (b) infrastructure and activities that are generally not open or of benefit to the public;
    (c) regional infrastructure, including community centres and other facilities that are
    designed to attract individuals from outside the area rate’s catchment area;
    (d) construction of indoor recreation facilities, including ice rinks and gymnasia;
    (e) political activity; and
    (f) grants to individuals and businesses.