Summary
Guelph City Council approves new Community Benefits Charges and updates to the Parkland Dedication Bylaw required by legislation.
Guelph, Ont., July 19, 2022 – Last night, City Council approved new Community Benefits Charges and updates to the Parkland Dedication Bylaw required by legislation.
The updated Parkland Dedication Bylaw will come into effect today, and Community Benefits Charges will take effect on September 18, 2022.
“The new Community Benefits Charges and the updates to the Parkland Dedication Bylaw will support responsible, long-term financial planning that ensures growth pays for growth in Guelph,” says Tara Baker, city treasurer and general manager of Finance. “These changes will help ease the tax burden for residents, and better fund community services such as cultural centres, public parking and parks.”
About Community Benefits Charges
Community Benefits Charges provide additional funding for City facilities and services including arts and culture, public parking, and in some cases, parks. Community Benefits Charges cover the building costs of public services associated with new, high-density growth that aren’t covered by development charges or parkland dedication.
Community Benefits Charges are paid as a one-time fee by the property developer or builder; it’s not part of property taxes. The charges are collected for new residential buildings or structures that are at least five storeys high with 10 or more residential units. The charge is four per cent of the property’s land value on the day before a building permit is issued.
About the Parkland Dedication Bylaw update
The Parkland Dedication Bylaw is one financing tool that helps the City create parks and open spaces to match the Guelph community’s growing needs in two ways:
- Developers may transfer land for parks and public recreation, or
- Developers may provide money for future parks, park equipment or recreational buildings.
Guelph, like all municipalities, must update its Parkland Dedication Bylaw before September based on changes to provincial legislation. These updates include:
- Improving bylaw transparency and clarity, such as updating definitions
- Making it easier to apply the bylaw and calculate the fee by clarifying how and to what areas the bylaw applies to
Learn more about the Parkland Dedication Bylaw, including answers to commonly asked questions and review the bylaw updates.
Media contact
Greg Clark, Manager, Special Projects
Finance
City of Guelph
519-822-1260 extension 2713
[email protected]