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Development charges and related policies concerning cost-sharing, special area charges, subdivider emplacements and growth management are all ways of enabling municipalities to grow in a functional and financially sound manner.
The physical growth of municipalities requires significant investment in infrastructure. Much of that investment comes in the form of development charges (DCs) collected from the developers of new urban subdivisions as well as infill development.
Development charges must be potentially justified to, and approved by, the Ontario Municipal Board if appealed.
Watson & Associates provides a proven approach to municipalities to enable them to qualify to collect these charges.
We have assisted in excess of 100 municipalities, most on multiple occasions, in moving successfully through the calculation and consultation process, as part of putting a by-law and funding scheme in place.
We continue to provide this service in response to more sophisticated developer appellant scrutiny and the ever-present municipal capital funding constraints. In addition, in recent years, our role has increasingly been directed toward:
- establishing workable capital financing schemes, which integrate development charge revenue with the necessary general fund contributions;
- devising sound exemption policies as part of an economic development strategy, downtown renewal schemes or the promotion of intensification;
- updating and amending by-laws, in order to keep current with increased municipal cost responsibility as a result of environmental and other increased requirements;
- addressing newly emerging issues – inter-municipal development charge arrangements, coverage of new services, etc.
Watson & Associates also provides advice and assistance to municipalities on a continuing basis with respect to policy interpretations, amendments, and reserve fund questions, as part of the implementation process.
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