Municipal Finance - Thinking Outside the Box

October 06, 2015

12:00pm-1:00pm

This session will explore the key pieces of legislation that regulate the financing of infrastructure at the municipal level, the potential negative impact of development charges on housing affordability, the practice of “voluntary payments” from developers over and above development charges, and how increasing development charges may conflict with other municipal policy objectives. It will explore ways that development charges could be used to incentivize development to achieve provincial goals respecting affordability, intensification and economic growth.
 
For the most part Ontario municipalities subscribe to the fiscal policy of having growth pay for growth and accordingly development charges represent the largest contribution in many municipalities to growth-related infrastructure costs. Following the passage of the Development Charges Act the quantum of development charges across Ontario municipalities has steadily increased while pressure on development charge revenues also increases as a result of reduced funding from senior levels of government. 

Speakers