The Ontario government’s Regulatory Registry posting #25-MMAH003, titled “Proposed Changes to the Development Charges Act, 1997” under Bill 17 (Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025), would amend the Development Charges Act to create regulation-making authorities to merge service categories (impacting DC credits), define “local services,” expand non-rental residential DC deferrals, allow municipalities to reduce DC rates without new background studies, limit eligible capital costs, adjust DC freeze provisions, and exempt long-term care homes.
OFA supports the principle that growth pays for growth and clear definitions for local services, cautions against expanding deferrals and arbitrarily limiting capital costs without municipal reimbursement, supports enabling municipalities to reduce DCs (but insists on maintaining public consultation), takes no strong view on DC freeze adjustments, and urges a statutory exemption for farm buildings.