County to apply for DC reduction funding grant

Essex County Civic Centre.

While there are mixed responses locally on whether or not to apply for the Ontario-Canada Development Charges Reduction Program (DCRP), Essex County will make an application.

Director of financial services/treasurer Melissa Ryan said during the June 17 county council meetings that the upper-tier of municipal government wants to move forward and upon a brief discussion, it was decided to do so.

In her report, Ryan noted, “failure to submit an application would result in the county forgoing a potential funding opportunity that aligns with the rationale council put forward earlier this year in their decision making to approve a phased-in development charge model.”

Essex County had debated in the last few months whether to move forward with a development charge of their own, separate from the several individual municipalities. This year and next will see no new charges but over the next four years, it will gradually be phased in.

On Wednesday, just two days before the DCRP application was to be submitted, Ryan said that the county would be requesting $41.3 million towards $45.9 million in infrastructure costs.

“We are already very well aligned with the intent of the program,” said Ryan.

Ryan said that there are five major road projects, primarily in the Lakeshore and Tecumseh areas that the county would be applying for.

LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche wanted to know specifically what the county could apply for.

“Whenever there is an opportunity to get funding from the upper levels, we should absolutely take advantage of it,” said Meloche.

Earlier last week at the Amherstburg council meeting, it was decided not to apply for the DCRP as the risks were high and the town could lose up to $5.3 million.

“Amherstburg decided not to go down this route because it wasn’t going to save us any money at all,” said Mayor Michael Prue.

Prue added he could see the merits for the county with large projects.

“I think for the county, this might work,” said Prue.

Municipalities that do apply for the funding have to cut their local development charges by 30 to 50 per cent for three years. 

County to apply for DC reduction funding grant

By Fred Groves