Proposal to Freeze Development Charges
At the City Council meeting on Monday, May 29, 2023, City Council passed a motion proposing that development charge rates be frozen at the June 30, 2023 levels for a period of one year. That means the 9.9 per cent inflationary increase to the development charge rate would not be implemented on July 1, 2023.
Staff were directed to report back to Council on the potential of implementing this rate freeze.
What are development charges?
Municipalities collect development charges to recover growth-related capital costs associated with residential and non-residential growth. They are collected at the building permit stage to help the City pay for municipal services needed to support the new development. These services include water, wastewater, emergency services, stormwater, roads, libraries, recreation services and transit.
Next steps
The City will hold a public meeting to hear public input on this proposed amendment to the development charges by-law:
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
6 p.m.
Council Chamber, Tom Davies Square
If you have comments on the proposed amendment, you can share them in a number of ways:
- Speak at the public meeting. You can preregister with Clerks Services at 705-674-4455 ext. 2409 or email clerks@greatersudbury.ca, or you can register at the meeting. Presenters will be heard in the order they appear on the speakers' list and will receive five minutes to make a presentation.
- Send written comments to the City Clerk, City of Greater Sudbury, P.O. Box 5000, Station A, Sudbury, ON, P3A 5P3, or email to clerks@greatersudbury.ca.
- Leave your comments in the feedback section below.
All written comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2023. All submissions received in writing and opinions expressed at the Public Meeting will be considered prior to Council’s decision, which is expected during the meeting on June 27.
To learn more about development charges and the proposed by-law amendment, take a look at the links and documents on the right or visit www.greatersudbury.ca/devcharges
Not only should it be frozen but should be eliminated, just another tax grab.
Since property taxes increased for the individual it should be no difference for businesses. Our roads are in rough space and we need all the income we can have to fix the issue.
Property Developers are building now based on speculation on an over inflated real estate market. These charges go to making our city a place where people want to live. It's in the long term interest of all of us to have a well funded municipality. Raise the fees!
Developers actually --out of their own pocket---cover the costs of building the road, extending the water, sewer, gas, hydro & telecom lines, buy the streetlights and pay to have them installed, building the curb, give the CGS money to building sidewalks at a future date, give part of their land to the CGS for future parks and/or playgrounds/tot lots. And they pay property taxes on this land before it's developed, while it's being developed, and until the property tax bill transfers to a new owner. The charges you say are to cover capital related costs should be part of the property tax levy, not more fees for people who want to build.
What we really need is a comprehensive capital asset management plan for the CGS that actually plans for ongoing maintenance and renewal. We say we want more growth, more building, but jam both the developers and the people who want to buy or build. You cannot have it both ways. Manage better. Plan better.
For one year and one year only. It is not up to the rest of us to pay for new development. The rest of us paid them or paid to put water and sewers into our property. Besides if the development fees are regarding new homebuyers then perhaps they can’t afford a new home.
Yes put a freeze on for the one year. Thanks