Development Charges Review

In accordance with the Development Charges Act, 1997, the Town of Bracebridge held a Public Meeting regarding its Draft Development Charges Background Study on April 11, 2024. Thanks to those who participated. The Town’s staff and consultant will hold an open house to informally answer any further questions on Development Charges.

Open House
Municipal Office, 1000 Taylor Court, Bracebridge
Monday, April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Please contact Paul Judson, Director of Finance/Treasurer at pjudson@bracebrodge.ca as soon as possible if you would like to attend, or if you have any further input or interest in a meeting.

The Town of Bracebridge has engaged Hemson Consulting Ltd. to prepare a Development Charges Background Study and Development Charges By-Law to come into effect on July 4, 2024.

What are Development Charges and why are they important?
Development Charges are one-time fees paid by developers to help pay for the upfront capital costs required to extend municipal services to new developments. For the Town, the upfront capital costs relate to vital services such as roads, bridges, storm sewers, community centres, parks, as well as library and fire facilities.

The principle behind development charges is that growth should pay for growth. Development Charges ease the financial burden of growth-related capital costs on existing taxpayers. Without development charges, the cost of growth-related infrastructure would fall entirely to existing property taxpayers in the form of higher property taxes.

How are Development Charges determined?
The Development Charges Act, 1997 provides municipalities with the authority to pass by-laws to impose Development Charges. The Act and Ontario Regulation 82/98 require that, prior to passing a Development Charges by-law, municipalities must prepare a Development Charges Background Study that includes the following elements:

• The forecasted amount, type and location of future development;
• The average service levels provided in a municipality over the 15-year period immediately preceding the preparation of the background study;
• Capital cost calculations for each eligible Development Charge service; and
• An examination of the long-term capital and operating costs for the infrastructure required to service the forecasted development.

The Act also requires municipalities to hold at least one Public Meeting to present their Development Charges Background Study and proposed Development Charges Rates.

The Development Charges Act, 1997 outlines statutory exemptions and credits related to the collection of Development Charges for specific types of development. As part of our Development Charge Review, the Town intends to review its current Development Charge exemptions and programs offered above and beyond what is legislated as part of the draft Development Charges Background Study.

Further updates will be provided as the Development Charges Review progresses.