New changes to the Municipal Government Act are coming with regard to off-site levies on new construction. Essentially, in the very near future (currently slated before the end of 2017) the new Municipal Government Act will be expanded to allow cities to charge new levies on NEW CONSTRUCTION to assist in paying for:
• Community Recreational Facilities, but not the staff to operate them. • Firehalls, but not the trucks, equipment or the firefighters. • Police Stations, but not the vehicles, equipment or the police officers. • Libraries, but not the books, various media, or the librarians.
The reason the Municipal Government Act is currently being revised is to allow cities to grow and to place much of the charges for growth back upon the developers. This means those who wish to build new residential and commercial buildings will share the cost. This is a significant improvement over having the entire burden placed upon the homeowners and businesses already residing in our communities.
