In cooperation with the Chemainus Business Improvement Association (the ‘Association’), the Council of the District of North Cowichan proposes to renew the Business Improvement Area (BIA) as a Council initiative under the authority of the Community Charter. A BIA is an area designated by Council in which businesses and property owners can finance effective marketing, promotional and revitalization programs for a specified area of the municipality.
Council proposes to adopt Chemainus Business Improvement Area Bylaw No. 3931, 2023, the purpose of which is to authorize the renewal of the Chemainus Business Improvement Area (CBIA), as shown outlined in bold on the map attached to the bylaw, for the purpose of undertaking a Business Improvement Area service under the authority of section 215 of the Community Charter. All the costs of the service would be recovered through an annual property tax levy on the land and improvements of owners and taxable occupiers of Class 6 property within the CBIA.
The bylaw would be in effect until December 31, 2026, and would authorize the Municipality of North Cowichan, during the calendar years 2024 through 2026, to grant to the Association $146,287 in 2024, $149,213 in 2025, and $152,197 in 2026. Within the BIA boundary there will be 3 different property value taxes charged on assessed value to raise 40% of the annual grant from Sub Area 1, 25% of the annual grant from Sub Area 2, and 35% of the annual grant from Sub Area 3.
View the proposed bylaw – Bylaw No. 3931.
ALL CLASS 6 PROPERTY OWNERS TAXABLE WITHIN THE CBIA desiring to petition against proposed Bylaw No. 3931 must do so in writing on or before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 12, 2024, at North Cowichan Municipal Hall, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan, BC.
Bylaw No. 3931 cannot be adopted if at least 50 percent of owners representing at least 50 percent of the assessed value of land and improvements that would be subject to the local tax sign a petition opposing the local area service.
Unless a majority of the owners representing at least half of the assessed value of the parcels that are responsible to be specially charged, petition Council NOT to proceed, Bylaw No. 3931 may be adopted without further notice and the Business Improvement Area service for the CBIA may proceed.
Instructions to Petitioners:
The Community Charter requires that for a petition against a proposed local service to be valid:
- The person signing a petition must be the owner of a parcel that would be subject to the local service tax.
- If two or more persons are owners of a parcel, they will be considered as one owner and their signatures will only be considered if a majority of them have signed the same petition.
- A person who would be responsible to a local service tax by reason of being the holder or occupier of land held by an owner who is exempt from property taxation, may sign a petition as if the person were the owner.
- The petition must include the petitioner’s full name, signature (by authorized signing officers in the case of corporations), and civic address of the Class 6 property within the Chemainus BIA that is owned or occupied by the petitioner.
- The petition must be in the form established by the Municipality of North Cowichan.
Signed petitions must be delivered to the District of North Cowichan, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan, BC, V9L 6A1, and received by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, February 12, 2024. Blank petition forms are available at the North Cowichan Municipal Hall (7030 Trans-Canada Highway), during regular office hours, or by email from: legislativeservices@northcowichan.ca.