By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Approximately forty people filled Room 247 at Burlington City Hall on Saturday, signalling just how closely residents are watching the council’s next move on development charges.
Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns hosted a Development Charges Information Session on Feb. 28 ahead of the March 2 special council meeting, where councillors are expected to decide whether to temporarily eliminate residential development charges for two years. The session aimed to clarify how development charges work, how infrastructure is funded, and what a freeze or elimination could mean for taxpayers.
Development charges are collected to help pay for growth-related infrastructure such as roads, transit, water and sewer services. As Kearns reminded attendees, “development charges are supposed to pay for growth.” She added that they fund “essential infrastructure” and are intended “to protect existing taxpayers.”
The debate comes amid a proposal to eliminate residential development charges for two years for projects that obtain building permits and begin active construction within that period. A final decision was deferred until March 2.
Kearns emphasized the financial implications of any reduction. “Anything that gets waived, frozen, not collected — eliminated, whatever words you want to use — from what needs to be collected, must be collected,” she said. “Non-negotiable, no outs, must be collected, but it’s not collected. So the question is, what do we have to fund, and how are we going to do it?”
She pointed to existing financial pressures, noting the City of Burlington has roughly $130 million in outstanding debt and ongoing interest obligations. Kearns also highlighted the layered costs built into development, including regional, education, and city components, arguing that development charges are only one part of a broader financial picture.
Kearns acknowledged housing affordability as a guiding principle but cautioned against oversimplifying the solution. “If you give me an option that’s going to deliver a home to someone who otherwise could not call our community home, I will absolutely do everything,” she said, referencing the possibility of using Community Improvement Plans as a more targeted approach rather than a blanket bylaw change.
She also warned that the timeline for any impact may be longer than residents expect. Depending on approvals and construction timelines, she said the effects of a decision could stretch “up to two years plus 18 months” before shovels are in the ground and homes are occupied.
Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, who was interviewed following the session, said the additional time before the March 2 meeting has been critical.
“I think it’s great that Councillor Kearns set up a session so that you could hear directly from residents,” Nisan said. He described the process as having felt rushed at times, with “a lot of last-minute information coming forward” and amendments being tabled.
“With the council meeting being delayed two weeks and a session like this, I think we’re getting a lot closer to a full conversation with the residents,” he said.
Nisan said feedback from the community has been consistent. “They’ve been very clear about their comments that they don’t want development charge reductions without being made whole. They don’t want to tap our reserves or tap the tax base.”
Looking ahead to the special council meeting, Nisan said the council should focus on outcomes rather than politics. “The most important thing is that we centre on delivering the best affordable housing for the community, and that we allow an expert-led process on how we use the financing that we have,” he said. “Get the recommendations first, and then we can start our process, rather than reversing it by starting with a development charge elimination that was not even contemplated by staff last fall without being made whole.”
With council set to make its decision today, any approved bylaw will be subject to the legislated appeal process, allowing eligible parties to challenge the outcome through the appropriate channels.
