2(1)For the purposes of computing the municipal tax base in paragraph (c) of the definition “municipal tax base”, the assessed value of real property in a municipality owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister in accordance with subsection (2).

2(2)The assessed value of real property in a municipality owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister by making

3(1)For the purposes of computing the rural community tax base in paragraph (c) of the definition “rural community tax base”, the assessed value of real property in a rural community owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister in accordance with subsection (2).

3(2)The assessed value of real property in a rural community owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister by making

4(1)For the purposes of computing the rural district tax base in paragraph (c) of the definition “rural district tax base”, the assessed value of real property in a rural district owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister in accordance with subsection (2).

4(2)The assessed value of real property in a rural district owned by the Crown in right of Canada shall be determined by the Minister by making

4(3)When the sum credited by the Minister to a rural district in respect of a grant under the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (Canada) for a fiscal year is less than the sum actually received by the Province, the Minister shall for the second next ensuing year cause the difference to be credited to the estimate prepared under paragraph 176.8(1)(a) of the Local Governance Act.

4(4)When the sum credited by the Minister to a rural district in respect of a grant under the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act (Canada) for a fiscal year exceeds the sum actually received by the Province, the Minister shall for the second next ensuing year cause the difference to be debited from the estimate prepared under paragraph 176.8(1)(a) of the Local Governance Act.

6(1)The Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall fix by order the total amount of the community grant, which represents the sum of the following amounts:

6(2)The Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall not be required to fix a new amount under subsection (1) each year, and the amount so fixed remains in effect until it is amended.

7(1)Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the Minister shall approve the proposed municipal estimate that a municipality submits to the Minister in accordance with subsection 99(2) of the Local Governance Act.

7(2)If the Minister requires, a municipality shall participate in partnership budgeting in which the municipality shall provide the Minister with an explanation and justification of its projected revenues and proposed expenditures.

7(3)If the Minister requires partnership budgeting, the Minister may refuse to approve any part of the proposed municipal estimate that the Minister considers excessive, having regard to the standard of services provided by the municipality in preceding years and the proposed development and improvement of services in the municipality.

7(4)The decision of the Minister not to approve a part of the proposed municipal estimate for a municipality under subsection (3) is final and not subject to review.

8(1)Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the Minister shall approve the proposed rural community estimate that a rural community submits to the Minister in accordance with subsection 99(2) of the Local Governance Act.

8(2)If the Minister requires, a rural community shall participate in partnership budgeting in which the rural community shall provide the Minister with an explanation and justification of its projected revenues and proposed expenditures.

8(3)If the Minister requires partnership budgeting, the Minister may refuse to approve any part of the proposed rural community estimate that the Minister considers excessive, having regard to the standard of services provided by the rural community in preceding years and the proposed development and improvement of services in the rural community.

8(4)The decision of the Minister not to approve a part of the proposed rural community estimate for a rural community under subsection (3) is final and not subject to review.

10(1)On or before the first business day of each month in each year, the Minister shall pay to each rural community

10(2)Each year, the Minister shall credit to each rural community the portion of the equalization grant that relates to the provision of services to the rural community by the Minister.

10(3)Each year, the Minister shall compute and credit to each rural community the amount to be raised on the rural community tax base for the services provided to the rural community by the Minister.

12(1)The equalization grant provided to a community shall be determined by the following formula:

12(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), for the year 2023, the variable “C” shall be deemed to mean the equalization provided in the year 2022 under paragraph 11(b) or 14(b) or section 21, as the case may be, of the Community Funding Act, chapter 56 of the Acts of New Brunswick, 2012.

12(3)For the purposes of subsection (1), the variable “D” shall be determined by the following formula:

12(4)For the purposes of subsection (1), the variable “E” shall be determined by the following formula:

12(5)For the purposes of the variable “G” in subsection (3) and the variable “I” in subsection (4), despite An Act to Repeal An Act to Comply with the Request of The City of Saint John on Taxation of the LNG Terminal, chapter 38 of the Acts of New Brunswick, 2016, the assessment of the LNG terminal to be used for the year 2022 is the assessment made after a review or appeal referred to in that Act arising from its assessment has been finally determined or the time for review or appeal of the assessment has expired.

12(6)For the purposes of the formula referred to in subsection (4), if the variable “E” is a number greater than 0.03, it shall be deemed to be 0.03.

12(7)With respect to a community or a portion of a community that is incorporated or restructured following an amalgamation, an annexation or a decrease in its territorial limits, as the case may be, its equalization grant shall consist of the equalization grants that the affected municipalities, rural communities, rural districts or local service districts, or any portion of them, had received in their previous forms in the previous year.

13(1)In this section, “core funding” means the core funding component provided in 2022 of the community funding and equalization grant established under the Community Funding Act, chapter 56 of the Acts of New Brunswick, 2012.

13(2)Despite any other provision of this Act and subject to subsection (3), in addition to the equalization grant, a transitional grant shall be provided to communities, which shall be fixed as follows:

13(3)With respect to a community or a portion of a community that is incorporated or restructured following an amalgamation, an annexation or a decrease in its territorial limits, as the case may be, its core funding shall consist of the core funding that the affected municipalities, rural communities, rural districts or local service districts, or any portion of them, had received in their previous forms in the previous year.

14(1)There is established a fund named the Regional Services Support Fund.

14(2)The Minister of Finance and Treasury Board shall be the custodian of the Fund.

14(3)Payments into the Fund shall be made in accordance with section 15.

14(4)Any payments out of the Fund made for the purposes of section 16 shall be a charge on and payable out of the Fund.

14(5)Payments out of the Fund shall not exceed an amount that represents the contributions made to the Fund and accumulated interest.

14(6)The Fund shall be held, for the purposes of this Act, in a separate account in the Consolidated Fund.

14(7)Any interest arising from the Fund shall be paid into and form part of the Fund.

14(8)Any amounts remaining in the Fund at the end of a fiscal year shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year.

14(9)The Minister of Finance and Treasury Board may invest the money in the Fund in the manner authorized by the Trustees Act, including investments in securities issued under the Provincial Loans Act.

16(1)The assets of the Fund shall be used to support the regional service commissions in implementing the activities identified in their regional strategy developed in accordance with section 3.2 of the Regional Service Delivery Act.

16(2)On application for a grant by a regional service commission, the Minister may make payments out of the Fund for the purposes of subsection (1) and pay sums to a regional service commission, subject to any parameters, terms, conditions or restrictions prescribed by regulation.

16(3)Subject to subsection (4), the Minister shall not award a grant in an amount greater than 50% of the cost of the activity proposed in the application.

16(4)An application for a grant may propose a multi-year activity, but the Minister shall not pay to a regional service commission in any one year an amount greater than 50% of the portion of the annual budget allocated by the regional service commission to the activity in that year.

16(5)An application for a grant shall be made in a form and in the manner determined by the Minister.

16(6)Each year, the Minister shall table a report in the Legislative Assembly specifying all grants provided and all payments made out of the Fund in the previous year.

17(1)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, a municipality that collects tax and penalties under subsection 6(2) of the Real Property Tax Act is not entitled to the payment under paragraph 9(c) for the period of time of the collection.

17(2)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, when the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board collects under the Real Property Tax Act the tax imposed by a municipality under paragraph 5(2)(a) of that Act and the penalties on the tax for and on behalf of the municipality and the municipality claims the tax and penalties from the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, the municipality is not entitled to the payment under paragraph 9(c).

17(3)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, when a municipality has been paid the sums under paragraph 9(c) for a year, whether before or after the commencement of this subsection, the payment shall be deemed to be in full satisfaction of the payment over to the municipality of the tax imposed under paragraph 5(2)(a) of the Real Property Tax Act and the penalties on the tax for that year.

18(1)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, a rural community that collects tax and penalties under subsection 6(4) of the Real Property Tax Act is not entitled to the payment under paragraph 10(1)(c) for the period of time of the collection.

18(2)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, when the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board collects under the Real Property Tax Act the tax imposed by a rural community under paragraph 5(2)(a.1) of that Act and the penalties on the tax for and on behalf of the rural community and the rural community claims the tax and penalties from the Minister of Finance and Treasury Board, the rural community is not entitled to the payment under paragraph 10(1)(c).

18(3)Despite any provision of this Act, other than this section, or of any other Act or any regulation under this Act or any other Act, when a rural community has been paid the sums under paragraph 10(1)(c) for a year, whether before or after the commencement of this subsection, the payment shall be deemed to be in full satisfaction of the payment over to the rural community of the tax imposed under paragraph 5(2)(a.1) of the Real Property Tax Act and the penalties on the tax for that year.

21(1)The Lieutenant-Governor in Council may pay to a municipality or rural community or credit to a rural district a stimulation grant to assist the municipality, rural community or rural district in developing or improving the standard of a service or facility.

21(2)A grant paid or credited under subsection (1) may be either current or capital in nature, but if the grant is capital in nature, it shall be used by the municipality, the rural community or the Minister to reduce any capital borrowing related to the service or facility for which the grant is made unless the Lieutenant-Governor in Council agrees to pay to a municipality or a rural community or credit to a rural district an annual grant related to the amortization and maintenance costs of a project in lieu of a grant to be used to reduce the capital borrowing.

21(3)The Lieutenant-Governor in Council may attach terms and conditions to a stimulation grant.

21(4)The total amount of stimulation grants to be paid or credited in any year may be fixed by order of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council and shall not exceed 15% of the total amount of the community grant fixed in accordance with section 6.

21(5)Stimulation grants paid to municipalities or rural communities on an amalgamation or annexation are not subject to the limitation provided in subsection (4).

21(6)A stimulation grant may be paid or credited in one or more annual instalments not exceeding 10, but when a stimulation grant is being paid or credited in respect of a service or facility the costs of which are to be met on an amortized basis in relation to principal and interest, the stimulation grant may be paid or credited in whole or in part in conjunction with the schedule of amortization.

21(7)For the purposes of this section, a water or wastewater commission established or continued under section 15.2 of the Clean Environment Act and a regional service commission shall be deemed to be a municipality.