Master Housing Strategy, impacts of the More Homes Built Faster Act, preliminary tax analysis and more

County Council meetings are broadcast live at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream. To download the full agenda or view past recordings of council meetings, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/council.

Preliminary property tax change for 2023

Oxford County is releasing an estimated increase for the County portion of 2023 property taxes. Based on information from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) regarding assessment growth that occurred in 2022, County taxes on an average single-family detached residential property valued at $275,022 will increase by approximately $29 next year. This number is subject to the outcome of the budget process, which continues into January. The Council report notes that the total assessment value of properties in Oxford County grew by an estimated $423.5 million in 2022.

A homeowner’s share of municipal taxes is based on the assessment (dollar) value of the home, set by MPAC.

CS 2022-46 - 2023 Preliminary Assessment and Tax Analysis

Master Housing Strategy

County Council receives the Master Housing Strategy next Council meeting, a multi-year plan focused on ways to help address the County’s current housing supply shortage. Working in tandem with the 10-Year Shelter Plan, the plan provides a clearer understanding of current housing needs and direction to more strategically direct funds and resources that support affordable housing initiatives. It also lays out specific projects and initiatives, and their potential financial considerations, that will promote the availability of “shovel-ready” housing sites, more affordable rental units, a supply of mixed-market housing, and ways to address core housing need (people not living in suitable housing). The report seeks support for a number of priority housing projects and their applicable partnerships and third-party funding opportunities; consideration of a formal exemption from County planning application fees for affordable housing; and a by-law amendment that will expand income eligibility for affordable rental housing to keep pace with current rental prices.

HS 2022-10 - Master Housing Strategy Completion

Financial impacts of the More Homes Built Faster Act

County Council will hear some of the local financial impacts of the More Homes Built Faster Act on December 14. These include:

• Significant loss of revenue for municipalities-- $5.6 million for the County alone over a 10-year period-- due to the removal of growth-related studies and imposing mandatory phase-in reductions to development charges that can be collected. This change marks a move away from the historical approach of “growth pays for growth,” and instead moves the burden of paying for infrastructure to support growth (new roads, water and wastewater, fire services, etc.) from developers onto individual taxpayers.
• A need for significant new staff resources to manage the various impacts of the Act. Through this preliminary report alone, the County is seeking approval to add three additional full-time employees to meet the administration, financial reporting and planning-related aspects of the Act. The potential need for additional staff in Community Planning, Finance, Public Works, and Housing, as well as in the Area Municipal offices will also need to be further examined moving forward.

The More Homes Built Faster Act brings in broad legislative changes to achieve the goal of 1.5 million homes built in the next 10 years. Staff will return in early 2023 with a follow-up report after further examination of the legislation and more clarity among Ontario’s municipalities on the extent of changes.

CS 2022-49 - Municipal Resource Impacts Resulting From Bill 23

Review of Ontario policies to support More Homes Built Faster legislation

Continuing from the previous Council report on the More Homes Built Faster Act, County staff brings forward on December 14 a review of the related changes to the land use policies in: “A Place to Grow” and the Provincial Policy Statement and changes to planning for the natural environment and natural hazards (i.e. flooding) that are also being considered by the Province. With the opportunity for public feedback again taking place under a very short timeline, December 30, the report seeks Council’s support for the comments that will make up the County’s formal submission. They include:

• a position that the current provincial policies have been informed and improved over many years by Ontario’s municipalities, are generally working well, and should be maintained, with a few exceptions as identified in the staff report;
• that further provincial policy direction on minimum density and mix of housing types be provided for all fully serviced communities in the Province, along with support for municipalities who chose to go beyond those minimums in key areas (e.g. downtowns, key transit areas etc.);
• suggesting additional options for increasing housing opportunities in rural areas, such as allowing for the splitting of existing rural residential lots and for an additional residential unit (ARU) to be established on a farm or rural residential lot;
• that the policies for the protection of natural heritage resources be approached in a way that maintains, enhances or restores these systems and also considers how they relate to surface water and groundwater features; and,
• a concern that the proposed offsetting policy—which allows developers to remove wetlands or woodlands if they add similar features elsewhere, needs to be carefully considered to ensure it does not result in the loss of biodiversity and ecosystems and simply become “pay to pave”.

CP 2022-413 - Review of A Place to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement

Council committee appointments

Council appointments to the County’s various boards, committees and external agencies for the 2023-2026 Council term will be decided on December 14. Councillor appointments, which are at the recommendation of a Striking Committee established each Council term, can be viewed after December 14 at www.oxfordcounty.ca/en/your-government/boards-and-committees.

CS 2022-47 - Councillor Appointments to County Boards, Committees and External Agencies

Other reports and presentations

• Delegation: Punkeydoodles Corners Traffic Study - Ed Danen, Chair, Punkeydoodles Community Association
• CS 2022-45: 2023 Insurance Program
• CS 2022-48: Borrowing By-law - 2023

Questions or comments?                                                                  

Council this Week highlights Council activities for the public, employees and community partners. Please send your questions and comme