Area Rate for Fire Departments Policy (January 2020) — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot dd1d7a8574f0 · verified 2026-06-05 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

_!1h:it; ~ Policy 47 AREA RATE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS POLICY PURPOSE 47.1 This policy shall apply to all capital programs proposed to be undertaken by volunteer fire departments where Municipal funding is involved. 1. All capital acquisition programs initiated by a Fire Department which require Municipal funding shall be by way of the levying of an area rate on all taxable property, excluding provincial and municipal exempt properties as well as acreage properties, within the districts served by the Fire Department. 2. An area rate shall be based on taxable assessed value of eligible properties within the service area. POLICY DETAILS 47.2 Prior to any procedure being commenced, representatives of the Fire Department shall meet with the Municipality (Warden, Councillor(s) of the area(s) and CAO) for the purpose of discussing in detail the project and Its financial implication. 47 .3 All requests for capital funding from the Municipality shall be subject to the following conditions: (a) A letter shall be delivered by the Fire Department to the office of the Municipal Clerk with a request that the Municipality consider an area rate to fund a capital purchase and appoint Poll Staff. The letter from the Fire Department shall contain detailed information on the proposed capital purchase, the need for the expenditure and the amount of the expenditure. An information letter shall be provided by the Municipality, _through Canada Post, to all properties within the service area to be affected. The letter from the Municipality shall contain detailed information on the capftal purchase being proposed, the need for the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, and the length offinancing and estimated area rate. The letter shall also contain the date, time and location for the information session as well as a ballot for mail-in voting or drop-off at the information session. (b) An information session shall be held by the Fire Department no earlier than fourteen (14) days from the date of distribution of the information letter. The Fire Department shall appoint a Chairperson to conduct the information session. (c) At the information session, the Fire Department shall present detailed information on the capital purchase being proposed, the need for the expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, and length of financing and estimated area rate. Members of the public shall have an opportunity to discuss the proposed acquisition with the Fire Department at the information session. (d) Rate payers shall submit their ballot by mail or at the end of the information session. If choosing the mail-in option, it must-be received by the Municipality no later than fourteen {14) days from the date of the information session. (e) The information session shall be open to the general public but only one vote per property of those properties listed on the roll of eligible properties within the service area shall be eligible to vote at the end of the information session or by mail; however, all members of the public that are in attendance may ask questions related to the proposed acquisition. {f) A list of eligible voters shall be maintained by the Poll Clerk and real property taxpayers that are in attendance at the information session may vote (one vote per property) provided that the rate roll, as maintained by the Municipality, shows real property assessed to the taxpayer in their name and they have the official ballot which they would have previously received by mail. (g) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a real property taxpayer, whose name appears on the rate roll, is unable to attend the information session, the taxpayer shall submit their vote by official ballot by mail. No ballots at the information session will be accepted from anyone other than an eligible voter. (h) The voting at the information session shall be by secret ballot with each eligible voter (one per property) present being asked to submit their official ballot, which they would have previously received by mail. Eligible voters present at the information session are not required to vote at the session, they may choose to mail in their ballot within the required timeframe. The ballot shall be shown in Schedule A. There shall beappointed, by the Municipal Clerk, a Presiding Officer and a Poll Clerk for the purpose of confirming eligible voters and for conducting the poll and counting of ballots. The Presiding Officer and Poll Clerk need not necessarily be residents of the district. (i) The Chairperson for the meeting shall appoint two (2) eligible voters to act as scrutineers who shall be present at the Municipal Office with the Presiding Officer, and Poll Clerk during the counting of votes, which will take place within one week of the deadline for mail-in votes. Not more than one of the scrutineers shall be a member of the fire department, (j) In order to be considered valid, the ballot shall be marked by the voter with a cross("+"), an "x" or a checkmark in the space provided either signifying "for" or "against" the proposed capital acquisition. (k) Immediately after counting the ballots, the Presiding Officer or the Poll Clerk shall declare the results of the vote. (I) After counting the ballots the Presiding Officer, in the presence of thescrutineers, shall prepare a certificate setting out the number of votes polled, the number of ballots marked "for", the number of ballots marked "against" and the number of spoiled ballots and shall serve a copy on the Chairperson with a copy to be forwarded to the office of the Municipal Clerk. Such report shall be signed by the Presiding Officer and at least one scrutineer. (m) The results of the vote shall be final and there shall be no provision for a recount. 47 .4 The expense for the Presiding Officer and Poll Clerk shall be paid by the Municipality and a II other costs shall be the responsibility of the Fire Department. 47.5 The results of the vote shall be reported to Council at the first meeting following the vote. 4 7 .6 It is the intention of this Policy to work in conjunction with the Fire Services Agreements with the Town of Shelburne and Town of Lockeport; however, should there be a contradiction between the two documents, the Fire Services Agreements supersede this Policy. 47 .7 In considering a request for the imposition of an area rate, Council shall consider, but not be bound by, the outcome of the results of the rate payers vote. THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the Council of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne duly passed the policy respecting Area Rate for Fire Departments on the 27th day of January, 2020. SIGNED this ____ day of _______ __,J 2020 WARDEN PENNY SMITH CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER TRUDY PAYNE Approved by Council: January 27, 2020 Effective Date: January 27, 2020 .A, M«.i...Lclp&1Ltt11 of --~~-lb~ BALLOT FOR AREA RATE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPITAL PURCHASE COMMUNITY VOTE ASSESSMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER: _________ _ Proposed Area Rate Charge: ---- per $100 of assessment Proposed Term: ____ years Description: Please vote by marking this ballot with a cross, an 'x' or a checkmark in the box provided either signifying "yes" or "no" to the proposed purchase. NOTE: Only one vote per assessment number will be counted. Ballots altered in any way will be voided. Ballots will not be re-issued if misplaced or voided. D D YES, I am in favour of the proposed purchase and resulting area rate charge as presented above. NO, I am not in favour of the proposed purchase and resulting area rate charge as presented above. Ballots must be received by the Municipality by----- --~ in order to be counted.