Brandon, MB – After more than two years spent consulting with the business community, residents and other stakeholders, the City of Brandon’s Development Services Division is preparing for a spring 2019 implementation of a new Development Charges By-law to assist in funding the infrastructure required for Brandon’s future growth.
Implemented in many municipalities across Canada, development charges are levied against new development (increases in residential units and expansions of non-residential buildings) as a consistent and transparent method of paying for the on and off-site infrastructure associated with this growth. While the on-site infrastructure of such growth is constructed by the developer, off-site improvements – things like necessary transportation routes and water, wastewater and storm water facilities and networks – are generally being constructed by the City.
City of Brandon Acting General Manager of Development Services and City Engineer Patrick Pulak says once in place, the City of Brandon’s development charges structure will act as a tool to recover a portion of the costs of off-site improvements from new developing areas.
“While the property taxes collected by the City of Brandon annually pay for the maintenance and replacement of existing municipal services, the reality is that new growth is expensive and must contribute to growing the City,” notes Pulak. “Over the course of the approximately the past two years, we have worked extensively with those in the development industry and others in the community to explore many options for how to fund the infrastructure required for this new growth, and we are now looking forward to getting this framework for future investment in place.”
A detailed overview of the City of Brandon’s proposed Development Charges By-law, including the proposed per-unit and per-hectare or per-square foot rates to be paid by developers, can be found here.
The City of Brandon is currently awaiting a decision from the Manitoba Public Utilities Board on the proposed Development Charge By-law, with final consideration of the By-law by Brandon City Council to follow. If given final approval by Brandon City Council, it is anticipated that implementation of the new charge structure will be in place prior to the 2019 construction season.
A Frequently Asked Questions document on development charges prepared by the City of Brandon Development Services Division can be found on the City of Brandon website here.
