Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input with respect to Bill 108. This letter and the attached enclosures address changes proposed to the Development Charges Act, 1997 (DCA) and to Section 37 of the Planning Act. The proposed changes will have a significant impact on how the Region delivers its services however it is difficult to provide a comprehensive financial review of the Bill without the prescribed regulations which are a substantial part of the change.

The Regional Municipality of Halton (The Region) is a rapidly growing community and is expected to grow from 570,000 people in 2017 to 1,000,000 people by 2041 under the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (the Growth Plan). While the Growth Plan has imposed financial challenges on the Region, Regional Council has committed to support the planned growth, while protecting its taxpayers from the financial impact of growth.

Despite its strong fiscal position, accommodating growth continues to be the primary challenge faced by the Region. The proposed changes will significantly impact how the Region delivers its services and its ability to recover the cost of such services. As such, at its May 22nd, 2019 meeting, Regional Council discussed the changes proposed under Bill 108 extensively. At that meeting, Council approved Report No. FN-31-19 (Re: Bill 108 – Growth Related Financing), directing Regional staff to prepare a submission to the Province on the growth-related proposed changes consistent with the direction outlined in Report No. FN-31-19. The Region’s submission to the Province on the growth-related changes is enclosed herewith as Attachment #1. Report No. FN-31-19 is enclosed herewith as Attachment #2.

As noted in both the Region’s submission to the Province and in Report No. FN-31-19 (Attachments #1 and #2), while the Region has done its best to evaluate the proposed changes, it is difficult to provide a comprehensive financial review of the Bill in advance of the Province’s release of proposed regulations, which have great bearing on how the proposed legislative changes would be applied. As such, the Region feels that it is imperative that the Province provide further opportunity for input into the proposed regulations once they are made available.
Also at the May 22nd, 2019 meeting, Regional Council passed a Resolution opposing Bill 108 in its current state, as the Region is of the opinion that the proposed legislative changes will have negative consequences on community building and proper planning, and calling upon the Government of Ontario to halt the legislative advancement of Bill 108 to enable fulsome consultation with municipalities. The Resolution is enclosed herewith as Attachment #3.

Throughout its 30-year history, Regional Council has consistently delivered the same message: “growth pays for growth”. This message was evident in the Region’s response to Bill 73 in 2014 and in its response to the Provincial Housing Strategy Action Plan in January 2019. The Region’s Submission with respect to Bill 73, which outlines the Region’s history of growth-related financing, is enclosed herewith as Attachment #4.

The DCA is an important tool for the Region, allowing it to fund infrastructure required to support growth in a timely way and more importantly, support the objectives of the Growth Plan. The Region would be pleased to work with the Province to review the current Development Charges legislation and would welcome changes in the legislation that would support the Region in achieving its growth objectives.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our submission or Bill 108, the Region would be pleased to meet to review and discuss.