Whereas the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act the Act provides for a more efficient ticket and adjudication process that municipalities have successfully implemented through bylaw notice enforcement tickets to enforce a variety of bylaw violations; And whereas tickets issued under the Community Charter, Part 8, Division 3 Ticketing for Bylaw Offences may be up to 1,000, yet tickets issued under the Act are restricted to only 500; And whereas the 500 limit reduces the effective deterrence of bylaw notice enforcement tickets and requires municipalities to use the less efficient and more costly Community Charter process for tickets over 500: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Attorney General for the Province of British Columbia to increase the maximum allowable penalty provided in Section 63 of the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act from 500 to 1,000.
Ministry of Justice Government is interested in supporting local governments seeking to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in the administration of bylaw notice enforcement tickets. The bylaw adjudication program was designed to divert bylaw infractions, within a specified financial threshold, from the Provincial Court. Ministry staff will undertake analysis of this issue to determine the feasibility of increasing the maximum allowable penalty provided in Section 63 of the Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act from 500 to 1,000.