As Chatham-Kent grapples with the issue of growth in the municipality, the big question is who is going to pay for the ensuing infrastructure that will be needed.
Mayor Darrin Canniff says the municipality is looking at implementing development charges to have growth pay for growth.
“When we develop new subdivisions and have to build new roads and put new storm sewers and new sidewalks and all the other stuff, rather than existing taxpayers paying for it, the people that are actually moving in are paying for it,” Canniff says.
Right now, the only development charges that Chatham-Kent collects is for certain water and wastewater infrastructure, but other growth infrastructure costs, such as roads, sidewalks and utilities, are funded through Chatham-Kent’s tax base.
“So we’re looking at charging development charges in those new subdivisions,” Canniff explains. “Every time a new house is build, the builder will pay a certain development charge, which will go towards building the next road, building the next storm sewer, etc.”
Council has given the green light to spending $60,000 to a consulting firm to undertake a background study and community benefit study.