Burlington opposition to Ford government’s sweeping housing bill

Thestar.com
June 6, 2019
Rol Cililers

Change is in the provincial wind, and the municipality is really not happy about it.

Burlington council joined a number of municipalities in passing a motion asserting opposition to the Ontario government’s Bill 108, More Homes, More Choices Act. The motion asserts the provincial bill will reduce local control of development, cut down on a municipal income stream that’s designed to offset the costs of development, and have negative consequences for planning and community building.

The government of Premier Doug Ford says the bill will increase the supply of housing and streamline development approvals. They have repeatedly raised the elimination of red tape as a priority.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has vocally opposed a number of financial changes made by the provincial government.

“What we’re facing is a double whammy. We’re being asked to find additional savings and cuts at a time that through the back door with the development charge changes, with the failure to increase as promised the gas tax revenue, and having to fight for longer and more money at the OMB, which is really what it is back again. Our costs are going up,” said Meed Ward.

The More Homes, More Choices Act was introduced on May 2 by the minister of municipal affairs and housing. The proposed bill amends 13 acts including the Planning Act and Development Charges Act. If passed, the act in its current state would reduce timelines for processing development applications, change the way development fees are collected, change the appeals process around development disputes, and have a far-reaching effect on development.

The provincial government is also looking to reinstate the former rules of the Ontario Municipal Board under the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal name --a move many politicians fear will have a negative impact on municipalities’ control over their own growth planning.

Councillor Rory Nisan questioned the goal of the bill.

“Cutting red tape is great and there is a time and place for that, but this isn’t about cutting red tape. This is Christmas in May for developers. So let’s be real about that. I think what we’re doing at the city to cut red tape is a real legitimate effort and stands in sharp contrast to what we’re seeing from the province,” said Nisan.

Councillors also criticized what they felt was a lack of clarity in the bill and an inability for municipalities to provide feedback.

Meed Ward reported that the Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario, which collectively represents roughly 67 per cent of people in the province, plans to speak with a united voice on the issue.

“The mayors also agreed that we would all independently in our own municipality show a separate levy item --the FORD levy --to show impact of cuts and downloads to municipalities and the increase to your taxes,” said Meed Ward.

She said Nisan had come up with an acronym for the potential levy that’s a play on the premier’s last name.

“’Financing Ontario through Reductions and Downloads,’ it’s exactly what it is and it’s not how to balance anybody’s books.”