Development Charges

If you are building a new house, building or expanding a non-residential building or submitting a planning application, it is possible you will need to pay development charges at the time of your building permit. Development charges are one-time fees paid by developers to help the Town recover costs related to increased pressure on our infrastructure and services resulting from new development. Development charges help with municipal services such as:

  • Roads
  • Transit
  • Water and sewer infrastructure
  • Community centres
  • Fire and police facilities

View the MunicipalDevelopment Charges By-lawfor more information.

Updated Development Charges coming soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

The principle behind development charges is that growth should pay for growth. Development charges ease the financial burden on existing taxpayers to fund new services as a result of growth. Without development charges, the costs for additional infrastructure would be at the expense of existing property owners in the form of higher property taxes and user fees.Development charges are used by most municipalities in Ontario.

TheDevelopment Charges Act, 1997provides the legislative authority for the collection of development Charges.

TheDevelopment Charges Act, 1997provides Council with the authority to pass a by-law to impose development charges.TheActrequires that aDevelopment Charges Background Studya new Development Charges By-law be completed at least once every five years.

The Background study takes the following into account:

  • A forecast of the amount, type and location of development, population
  • The historical level of capital service levels
  • A review of future capital projects to provide for the expected development.

TheAct also requires that the municipality must hold at least one Public Meeting to present the updated Development Charges Background Study and proposed Development Charges Rates.Once all of the requirements are met a newBy-lawis passed based upon the results of the Background Study.

TheActand theBy-lawprovide for an annual adjustment, in June of each year, of development charge rates.TheActand theBy-lawalso provide exemptions for certain types of development.TheDevelopment Charges By-lawshould be reviewed for these exemptions.

Funds collected for development charges must be held in a separate Reserve Fund for each service to which the levy applies. These funds can only be spent on paying for the growth-related capital costs for which the funds are intended. For example, funds collected for roads must be held in a Development Charges for Roads Reserve Fund and can only be spent on growth-related capital costs for roads. Development charges may not be used to fund operating costs.