Bill 63 explained in plain English
St. Thomas - Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This Act adjusts the boundary between the City of St. Thomas and the Municipality of Central Elgin by annexing a portion of Central Elgin to St. Thomas and outlining the transition of municipal responsibilities and assets.
Bill 63, the St. Thomas - Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023, enacts changes to the boundary between the City of St. Thomas and the Municipality of Central Elgin. It officially annexes a specified portion of the Municipality of Central Elgin to the City of St. Thomas. The Act addresses how existing by-laws, resolutions, official plans, and ongoing procedures will apply after the boundary change. It also sets out arrangements for real property taxes, including the transfer of uncollected taxes and a process for payment between the municipalities. The Act allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make orders for the closure of public highways within the annexed area and to make regulations concerning transitional matters, payments between municipalities, and the precise definition of the annexed area. It also states that this Act prevails in case of conflict with other laws or regulations.
- Annexes a specified portion of the Municipality of Central Elgin to the City of St. Thomas.
- Determines how existing by-laws, resolutions, and official plans apply to the annexed area.
- Provides for the continuation of ongoing municipal procedures in the annexed area.
- Establishes rules for real property taxes in the annexed area, including the collection of arrears and payments between municipalities.
- Allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make orders for the closure of public highways in the annexed area.
- Authorizes the Minister to make regulations for transitional matters, payments, and defining the annexed area.
- Specifies that this Act takes precedence over other conflicting legislation or regulations.
- Repeals and substitutes certain sections of the Act itself to allow for a regulation-prescribed annexed area.
- Repeals the Schedule that originally described the annexed area.
- The City of St. Thomas
- The Municipality of Central Elgin
- The County of Elgin
- Residents and property owners in the annexed area of Central Elgin
- Members of the Municipal Council of Central Elgin
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
- The City of St. Thomas is responsible for by-laws and resolutions extending to the annexed area.
- The Municipality of Central Elgin and County of Elgin cease to apply most of their by-laws and resolutions to the annexed area.
- Certain by-laws and resolutions of Central Elgin and Elgin County are deemed to be by-laws and resolutions of St. Thomas.
- The official plan of Central Elgin for the annexed area is deemed to be an official plan of St. Thomas.
- St. Thomas must collect unpaid real property taxes in the annexed area.
- St. Thomas must pay Central Elgin the amount of arrears of real property taxes and associated interest or penalties from the annexed area, subject to certain removals.
- The City of St. Thomas and the Municipality of Central Elgin or County of Elgin may be required to make payments to each other as determined by regulation.
- A member of the Central Elgin council is not disqualified from holding office due to loss of qualification from the annexation.
- The 'effective date' is the day the St. Thomas - Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023 receives Royal Assent (March 2, 2023).
- Most of the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Section 13 of the Act comes into force on a day named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- The Clerk of the Municipality of Central Elgin must prepare and provide a special tax roll to the City of St. Thomas before May 1, 2023.
- The City of St. Thomas must pay Central Elgin the amount of arrears of real property taxes by July 31, 2023.
- For the 2023 taxation year, the annexed area is deemed part of St. Thomas for the portion of the year after the annexation takes effect.
- A council member of Central Elgin is not disqualified from holding office until November 14, 2026, due to annexation-related loss of qualification.
- Uncollected real property taxes in the annexed area that were due and unpaid before the effective date become due and payable to the City of St. Thomas.
- The City of St. Thomas must pay the Municipality of Central Elgin the amount of arrears of real property taxes and any accumulated interest or penalty from the annexed area, with the possibility of excluding certain amounts.
- The City of St. Thomas and the Municipality of Central Elgin or County of Elgin may be required to make payments to each other, as determined by regulations.
- The Act does not specify penalties for non-compliance, but it does outline procedures for collecting taxes and making payments between municipalities. The Minister is authorized to make regulations which may include transitional matters or address problems arising from the Act.
- The specific portion of the Municipality of Central Elgin to be annexed can be further defined or changed by regulations made by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. If regulations prescribe the annexed area, that description supersedes the description in the original Schedule of the Act.
- Payments between the City of St. Thomas and the Municipality of Central Elgin or County of Elgin are subject to requirements and determinations made by regulations, which are not detailed in the Act itself.
- The exact date Section 13 of the Act comes into force is not specified and will be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing can make orders for the closure of public highways if deemed necessary for development or redevelopment in the annexed area, indicating a discretionary power.
- The extent to which by-laws and resolutions of Central Elgin and Elgin County remain in force in the annexed area is subject to their expiration, repeal, or amendment by St. Thomas.
- The Act contains a statement that it prevails in cases of conflict with other general or special Acts or regulations, but the precise implications of this override are not further detailed.
Subsection 2(1) which described the annexation is repealed and replaced, allowing the annexed area to be prescribed by regulation. Subsection 11(1) is amended to add the Minister's power to prescribe the annexed area. The Schedule describing the annexed area is repealed.
Source: Section 13
Provides that the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent, except for Section 13 which comes into force on a day named by proclamation.
Source: Section 14
By-laws passed under Section 135 of this Act by St. Thomas do not automatically extend to the annexed area. By-laws passed under Sections 34, or under the Highway Traffic Act or Municipal Act, 2001, or under Sections 45, 58, or 61 of the Drainage Act, by Central Elgin or Elgin County are deemed to be by-laws of St. Thomas. Tax sales procedures under Part XI of this Act are included in ongoing matters that St. Thomas can complete. A person who is a member of the council of Central Elgin is not disqualified from holding office due to loss of qualification from the annexation. Regulations made by the Minister under this Act can provide for matters described in Ontario Regulation 204/03.
Source: Sections 3, 5, 8, 11
By-laws passed under Section 34 of this Act by Central Elgin or Elgin County are deemed to be by-laws of St. Thomas and remain in force in the annexed area until they expire or are repealed or amended.
Source: Section 3(3)
By-laws passed under this Act by Central Elgin or Elgin County to regulate vehicle and pedestrian use of highways, or encroachment on highways, are deemed to be by-laws of St. Thomas and remain in force in the annexed area until they expire or are repealed or amended.
Source: Section 3(3)
By-laws passed under Sections 45, 58, or 61 of this Act by Central Elgin or Elgin County are deemed to be by-laws of St. Thomas and remain in force in the annexed area until they expire or are repealed or amended.
Source: Section 3(3)
Defines 'real property taxes' for the purpose of collecting arrears in the annexed area.
Source: Section 6(4)
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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Official sources
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