WHEREAS section 272w of the University Act grants the Board of Governors of a university the following powers: w to pay to a municipality incorporated under an Act a grant in a year not exceeding the lesser of i the amount that would be payable as general municipal taxes in the year on property of the university within the municipality if the property were not exempt from these taxes, and ii the amount specified by the minister or calculated in the manner specified by the minister; AND WHEREAS municipalities have identified considerable loss of tax revenue due to the low amounts calculated under University Act section 272wii, but local governments have noted no provincial action in response to UBCM resolution 2008-B104, which requested the Province to amend the University Act by replacing section 272w with the following: To pay to a municipality incorporated by or under an act a grant in a year equal to general municipal taxes in the year on property of the university within the municipality if the property were not exempt from these taxes: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM urge the Province to address the issue of university grants-in-lieu of taxes by amending section 272w of the University Act to specify that a university must pay to a municipality a grant equal to general municipal taxes.
Ministry of Finance The Minister of Finance agreed to consider this resolution during the preparation of Budget 2012.