WHEREAS s. 237 of the Community Charter requires municipalities to mail the annual tax notice in a hard copy format to each property owner at the address shown on the assessment roll; AND WHEREAS it is more efficient, economical and beneficial to the environment to deliver tax notices by email rather than regular mail: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to amend the Community Charter to permit tax notices to be delivered by email where so requested by the property owner.
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Government is interested in supporting local governments seeking to improve their efficiency and effectiveness and respond to citizens interest in doing more business electronically. That could include facilitating electronic delivery of property tax notices. Ministry staff have been undertaking work on this issue, to identify the types of legislative change that would be required if Government were to proceed to enable property tax notices to be delivered electronically as an alternative to traditional mail. That includes considering matters such as security of delivery, consent of recipients and technological capacity. Work to date has also included discussions with staff from UBCM, Local Government Management Association and Government Finance Officers Association, as well as a survey of all municipal corporate officers.