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While it’s tempting, and certainly legitimate, to criticise municipalities for prioritising the safety interests of ratepayers over those of poor people, the reality of municipal governance is a bit more complex.through two primary sources. The first is income generated by the municipality itself, via property rates, service charges, traffic fines and penalties for contraventions of by-laws.
Therefore, if by-laws enable cities and towns to function properly and serve the needs of residents, is it possible for them to support safety in a neutral way? Further, each municipality is responsible for making its own by-laws — but their development is a complex process. Many smaller municipalities don’t have the legal skills and resources to do so effectively. This has resulted in significant variance in the scope and application of by-laws depending on the size, location and political leadership of a given municipality.