2024 Development Charges Background Study

Update: April 11, 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 public input on the 2024 Development Charges Background Study takes place on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.

The public meeting 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.

Please read the public notice for information on how to delegate (present) before County Council at this meeting.

• Review the 2024 Development Charges Background Study
• Download the public notice | Accessible version
• Watch the public meeting online on May 8 at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream

Please submit your comments on the Background Study by Friday, May 17, 2024.

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

Update: April 2, 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.

What's new

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

• A public meeting to present and receive public input takes place on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. Watch online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream or download the public notice for information on how to delegate. | Accessible version of public notice

• 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.

March 14, 2024

On March 13, 2024, County Council received a report outlining next steps for the 2024 Development Charges Background Study, including public consultation plans.

• A draft version of the Background Study will be posted for public review and comment by April 12, 2024.
• A hybrid (in-person and online) public meeting will follow on May 8.
• County Council will review an updated Background Study at a future meeting based on feedback received throughout the review process.

Read the Council report: CS 2024-09 – Development Charges Study and Update - 2024

Download the presentation		Watch it on County Council (1:38:50 mark)

June 26, 2023

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 new

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.

How to have a say

Comments and questions about the 2024 Background Study are welcome now. Please use the "Question and comment form" below or send your comment directly to the project contacts.

As the new development charges background study and policies are drafted in the second phase of the consultation process, there will be a public meeting to explain the proposed changes and also more ways to provide input.

Each of the municipalities will post a copy of the draft background study on their municipal website at least 60 days before a public meeting is held by each council to consider the new by-laws.

See the timeline | Download the full Overview document