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Municipal

West Hants Regional Municipality Council

Governs West Hants

Official website (westhants.ca) Report a problem with this page

Source: westhants.ca, checked

At a glance

What it's for

A Nova Scotia municipal council provides services, facilities and other things it considers necessary or desirable for all or part of the municipality. The law sets its purposes as good government and safe and viable communities.

Municipal Government Act, s. 9A · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)

What it can't do

A by-law must not be inconsistent with a law of Nova Scotia or of Canada.

Municipal Government Act, s. 171(2) · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)

Who it answers to

Council members are elected under the Municipal Elections Act. Most borrowing needs the approval of the provincial minister.

Municipal Government Act, ss. 10, 11, 88 and 91 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)

Where its money comes from

Mostly property taxes: each year council sets its budget estimates and authorizes commercial and residential tax rates on assessed property.

Municipal Government Act, ss. 72 and 73 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)

Shares responsibility with

Works with the provincial government, whose laws its by-laws must be consistent with and whose minister approves most borrowing.

Municipal Government Act, ss. 88 and 171 · Applies to every Nova Scotia municipal council (not Halifax, which has its own charter)

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Who sits on it

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Sources for who sits on it

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What it can do

  • General municipal purposes and services

    Provides good government and the services, facilities and other things council considers necessary or desirable for all or part of the municipality, and develops and maintains safe and viable communities (Municipal Government Act s. 9A).

  • By-laws

    Makes by-laws for the health, well-being, safety and protection of people, nuisances, animals, local business licensing and similar local matters, and enforces them with fines (Municipal Government Act Part VII, ss. 171-172).

  • Property tax and rates

    Sets the property tax rates on assessed property each year, plus area rates and uniform charges for services in part of the municipality (Municipal Government Act ss. 72-75). Assessments are made by Property Valuation Services Corporation.

  • Planning and land use

    Adopts the municipal planning strategy and land-use by-law, approves development agreements and issues development permits (Municipal Government Act Part VIII, ss. 190-237).

  • Policing

    Provides policing for the municipality through a municipal police service or a contract with the RCMP (Municipal Government Act s. 54; Police Act).

  • Borrowing

    Borrows money for capital purposes within limits set by the Minister of Municipal Affairs (Municipal Government Act ss. 66, 84-91).

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Sources for what it can do

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Sources

  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Council page of the West Hants Regional Municipality (official website https://www.westhants.ca/). For: West Hants Regional Municipality Council
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, s. 9A. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it's for
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, s. 171(2). Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it can't do
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 10, 11, 88 and 91. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Who it answers to
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 72 and 73. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Where its money comes from
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act, SNS 1998, c. 18 (as amended to April 9, 2026): Municipal Government Act, ss. 88 and 171. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Shares responsibility with
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Ticket 261: name changed from "Purposes and services" to "General municipal purposes and services"; wording only, description unchanged. (Per-row copy of bulk note 445746, by improvements:source-integrity.) For: General municipal purposes and services
  • nslegislature.ca · checked municipal: Municipal powers as cited in the description (statute consolidated to 2026). For: General municipal purposes and services, By-laws, Property tax and rates, Planning and land use, Policing, Borrowing
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Municipal Government Act ss. 11, 12(8); Municipal Elections Act s. 10. Mayor listed on the council page. For: Mayor
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Seat count: polling districts in Nova Scotia Open Data gcep-xeci; Municipal Government Act s. 10; Municipal Elections Act s. 10. For: Councillor
  • nslegislature.ca · checked Municipal Government Act (Nova Scotia) s. 16 Deputy mayor or deputy warden (consolidated to 2026-04-09). For: Deputy Mayor
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current mayor on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Abraham Zebian as Mayor
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH01 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Rupert Jannasch as Councillor, District 1
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH10 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Bonnie Smith as Councillor, District 10
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH11 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Jim Ivey as Councillor, District 11
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH02 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Scott McLean as Councillor, District 2
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH03 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Chrystal Remme as Councillor, District 3
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH04 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Paul Wheadon as Councillor, District 4
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH05 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Debbie Francis as Councillor, District 5
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH06 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Bob Morton as Councillor, District 6
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH07 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Kayla Leary Pinch as Councillor, District 7
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH08 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Paul Morton as Councillor, District 8
  • westhants.ca · checked municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH09 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: John Smith as Councillor, District 9
  • westhants.ca · checked post named in the note of term 29551; source as recorded for that term: municipal: Listed as current councillor for WH05 on the official council page (read 2026-10-11). Start date is the 19 Oct 2024 regular election (Municipal Elections Act s. 10); a later by-election would change it. For: Debbie Francis as Deputy Mayor
  • nslegislature.ca · checked municipal: Municipal Elections Act ss. 2, 10 (consolidated to 2025-10-03): ordinary polling day the third Saturday in October in 2000 and every fourth year; nomination day the second Tuesday in September. For: General election, October 21, 2028

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