Development Charges Review

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Consultation has concluded.

The Municipality of Leamington has engaged a consultant to prepare a background study to reintroduce its Development Charges By-law. 

What are development charges and why are they collected?

Development charges are fees collected from developers when a building permit is issued to help pay for the infrastructure required to provide municipal services for new development, such as roads, public works, transit, water and waste water infrastructure, community centres and fire and police facilities.

The principle behind Development Charges is that growth should pay for growth. Development Charges ease the financial burden on existing taxpayers to fund new services as a result of growth. Without development charges, the costs for additional infrastructure would be at the expense of existing property owners in the form of higher property taxes and user fees. Development charges are used by most municipalities in Ontario.

Background

In 2014, the Municipality of Leamington completed a comprehensive background study and through the legislated process, passed a by-law to discount development charges by 100% for all types of developments, except for the greenhouse water development charge which was discounted by 46.66%.

In 2019, the Municipality engaged Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. to undertake a development charges background study and by-law. 

Watson & Associates Economists Ltd., has prepared a 2022 Development Charges Background Study and proposed By-law, and the Municipality is currently undertaking a Development Charges public engagement process. 

Leamington has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years, with the number of building permits and planning applications increasing every year. The emplacement of development charges will help the Municipality mitigate the additional growth-related costs from being passed on to the taxpayer. 

The 2022 Development Charges Background Study is now available for review.

The 2023 Development Charge rates have been approved by the Council of the Municipality of Leamington.

For project updates, please refer to the news feed section below.

The Municipality of Leamington has engaged a consultant to prepare a background study to reintroduce its Development Charges By-law. 

What are development charges and why are they collected?

Development charges are fees collected from developers when a building permit is issued to help pay for the infrastructure required to provide municipal services for new development, such as roads, public works, transit, water and waste water infrastructure, community centres and fire and police facilities.

The principle behind Development Charges is that growth should pay for growth. Development Charges ease the financial burden on existing taxpayers to fund new services as a result of growth. Without development charges, the costs for additional infrastructure would be at the expense of existing property owners in the form of higher property taxes and user fees. Development charges are used by most municipalities in Ontario.

Background

In 2014, the Municipality of Leamington completed a comprehensive background study and through the legislated process, passed a by-law to discount development charges by 100% for all types of developments, except for the greenhouse water development charge which was discounted by 46.66%.

In 2019, the Municipality engaged Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. to undertake a development charges background study and by-law. 

Watson & Associates Economists Ltd., has prepared a 2022 Development Charges Background Study and proposed By-law, and the Municipality is currently undertaking a Development Charges public engagement process. 

Leamington has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years, with the number of building permits and planning applications increasing every year. The emplacement of development charges will help the Municipality mitigate the additional growth-related costs from being passed on to the taxpayer. 

The 2022 Development Charges Background Study is now available for review.

The 2023 Development Charge rates have been approved by the Council of the Municipality of Leamington.

For project updates, please refer to the news feed section below.

Consultation has concluded.

  • 2023 Development Charge Rates

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    The Council of the Municipality of Leamington has approved the 2023 Development Charge rates listed below.

    Download the 2023 rates pamphlet

  • Notice of Passing of Development Charges By-law

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    The Council of the Municipality of Leamington passed Development Charges By-law 49-22 on July 26, 2022, under section 2 (1) of the Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O., 1997 c. 27, as amended.

    Any person or organization may appeal the Development Charges By-law to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal under section 14 of the Act by filing a notice of appeal, setting out the objection to the by-law and reasons supporting the objection with the Municipal Clerk at clerk@leamington.ca, no later than September 5, 2022.

    The schedule of development charges imposed by the By-law, which came into effect on July 27, 2022, is as follows (identified as Schedule “B” of the By-law):

    Service/Class of Service

    Single & Semi-Detached Dwelling

    Other Multiples

    Apartments -2 Bedrooms +

    Apartments -Bachelor and 1 Bedroom

    Special Care / Special Dwelling Units

    On-Farm Bunk Houses (per capita)

    Industrial Commercial & Institutional

    (per sq. ft. of Gross Floor Area)

    Greenhouse (per sq. ft. of Gross Floor Area)

    Municipal Wide Services/Class of Service

    Service related to a Highway

    3,758

    2,189

    1,908

    1,475

    1,232

    1,120

    1.562

    0.062

    Public Works

    191

    111

    97

    75

    63

    57

    0.079

    0.003

    Fire Protection Services

    442

    258

    224

    173

    145

    132

    0.184

    0.007

    Policing Services

    72

    42

    37

    28

    24

    21

    0.030

    0.001

    Parks and Recreation Services

    1,934

    1,127

    982

    759

    634

    577

    0.056

    0.003

    Growth Studies

    373

    217

    189

    146

    122

    111

    0.162

    0.007

    Total Municipal Wide Services/Class of Services

    6,770

    3,944

    3,437

    2,656

    2,220

    2,018

    2.073

    0.083

    Municipal-Wide Water Serviced Area –

    Water Services


    2,452


    1,429


    1,245


    962


    804


    556


    1.046


    0.397

    Total Water Serviced Area

    9,222

    5,373

    4,682

    3,618

    3,024

    2,575

    3.119

    0.480

    Urban Wastewater Serviced Area –

    Wastewater Services


    601


    350


    305


    236


    197


    -


    0.247


    -

    Total Urban Water and Wastewater Serviced Area

    9,823

    5,723

    4,987

    3,854

    3,221

    2,575

    3.366

    0.480


    No key map has been provided as the by-law applies to all lands within the Municipality of Leamington.

    A copy of the By-law is available for review in the Documents section or in person at the Leamington Municipal Building, 111 Erie Street North, Leamington, ON N8H 2Z9 during regular business hours (weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM) excluding statutory holidays.