2024 Development Charges Background Study

Update: April 12, 2024

Oxford County and seven local area municipalities are working together to update their development charge background studies to prepare to pass new development charge by-laws.

Public meeting and release of 2024 Development Charges Background Study

A public meeting to present and receive community input takes place on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.

• Review the 2024 Development Charges Background Study
• Download the public notice for information on how to delegate. Accessible version
  
• Watch online on May 8 at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream

Please submit your comments on the Background Study by Friday, May 17, 2024. See "Have you say" below for more information on how to provide feedback.

NEW: Quick poll on industrial development charges exemptions

• Oxford County is considering removing industrial development charges exemptions as part of the 2024 Development Charges Background Study. Take our quick poll

NEW: Update on stakeholder and area municipal council meetings

DownloadOxford County hosted an online stakeholder meeting on March 18, 2024, for developers, businesses, and municipal and community partners to share findings from the development charge review (May 2023) and to receive input from this group. This session focused on the development charge by-law reviews for Oxford County, Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg and Zorra.

Download the presentation

Presentations to municipal councils also took place over March 2024. Download the presentation for each area municipality below.

Have your say

The Oxford County 2024 Development Charges Background Study is now posted for public review and comment. Please submit your feedback by Friday, May 17, 2024.

Here's how we're collecting feedback from the community.

• STAKEHOLDER MEETING. A special meeting for developers and related organizations took place March 18, 2024, to share the findings from the development charge review process and to provide input on the public meeting.
  
  
• PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. This will be a hybrid (in-person and online) meeting as part of the regularly scheduled County Council meeting. Council meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. and are broadcast online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream. Read the public notice for information on how to delegate (present) before County Council at this meeting.
  Download the public notice | Accessible version
  
  
• ONLINE COMMENT FORM. Use the "Question and comment form" below to submit your feedback.
  
  
• EMAIL: Send your comments directly to the project contacts listed at right.

Originally posted: June 26, 2023

See project updates

About the Background Study

Oxford County and seven local area municipalities are working together to update their development charge background studies to prepare to pass new development charge by-laws.

• Oxford County
• Town of Ingersoll
• Town of Tillsonburg
• Township of Blandford-Blenheim
• Township of East Zorra-Tavistock
• Township of Norwich
• Township of South-West Oxford
• Township of Zorra

As part of this process, the municipalities are seeking feedback about the current development charges, policies, exemptions, by-law administration, and other matters.

What are development charges?

Development charges are the fees paid by land developers to help finance the municipal infrastructure and services that are needed to support new growth in residential, commercial and industrial areas.

Through development charges, municipalities are able to provide reliable and financially sustainable roads, water, wastewater, fire and ambulance, parks and more.

Oxford County and Area Municipalities’ development charge by-laws will expire in mid-2024, requiring the background studies to be updated before new by-laws can be passed. A background study will include evidence of projected population and business or industry growth in a community; outline what services are needed to support that level of growth; and assess existing infrastructure.

What's changing

There have also been a number of legislative changes that have been brought about by the More Homes Built Faster Act (i.e., Bill 23) that will need to be reflected in the background studies and by-laws. Some of the main changes to the Development Charges Act brought about by Bill 23 include:

• Non-profit housing is now exempt from the payment of development charges.
• Rental housing development will now receive mandatory reductions to development charges based on the number of bedrooms in each unit.
• Mandatory exemptions have been introduced for affordable, attainable and inclusionary zoning units.
• Development charges must now be phased in over a 5-year period.

Download the 2024 Background Study Overview for more detailed information.

Please note: Each of the local area municipalities will post a copy of the draft background study to their own municipal websites at least 60 days before a public meeting is held by each council to consider the new by-laws.