Back to SearchThe City of St. Catharines Development Charges Background Study is now available for public review and feedback, as the City considers introducing Development Charges (DCs) for residential and non-residential projects.
“The establishment of Development Charges provides a funding source for growth related infrastructure,” said Manager of Accounting and Payroll Adam Smith. “Failure to establish adequate funding for growth means that key infrastructure may not be built in a timely manner and taxpayers will end up paying for growth related infrastructure costs, rather than the development community.”
DCs are a revenue tool that are charged to developers for the City to recover the capital costs associated with residential and non-residential growth. While the Niagara Region have upper-tier DCs in place, St. Catharines is currently the only municipality in Niagara that does not have lower-tier DCs.
The Province’s Development Charges Act sets out the mandatory process of calculating development charges, and, as a result, the City has undertaken the Development Charges Background Study. This study includes background information on the infrastructure per capita provided over the past 10 years and determines the potential revenue that the City may generate with DCs as well as the recommended DCs amounts that the City should charge. It also includes exemptions and policies on the application of the charges.
The City’s total capital projects benefitting growth over the next 21 years are estimated to cost $200 million, and include everything from additional water services to expansions of parks and recreations services and facilities, additional buses, library expansion, additional public works equipment, expansion of active transportation and more. Of the estimated total, about $59 million would be eligible to be funded through development charges.
A video presentation of the Development Charges Background Study along with the complete study and a public feedback survey can now be found at www.EngageSTC.ca/DevelopmentCharges.
Public feedback will be compiled for Council prior to a public meeting to be held on July 12.
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