WHEREAS municipalities are permitted to implement soil removal fees to compensate for the fact that current assessment methodology limits the ability for municipalities to appropriately tax gravel operations; AND WHEREAS gravel operators within municipal boundaries take the position that the imposition of a soil removal fee on their operations affects their ability to compete with gravel operators outside of municipal boundaries: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to establish a universal soil removal fee that can be applied across the province, with the funds generated within a municipality accruing to the municipality and the funds generated in the regional district accruing to the regional district.
Ministry of Community, Sport Cultural Development The implementation of a universal soil removal fee would remove the ability of local governments to vary the fee according to local circumstances. In addition, the courts have indicated that the fees must be related to direct costs of aggregate operations to the municipality, such as maintenance of roads damaged by gravel truck traffic. Regional districts do not have responsibility for roads and therefore, could not charge a similar fee. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development is could work with the UBCM and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations to consider whether standard soil removal fees are in fact feasible for municipalities and regional districts, and the full range of implications of such an approach.