Media Release: Town of Lincoln responds to Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 - lincoln.ca

Media Release: Town of Lincoln responds to Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022

Lincoln, ON – (December 6, 2022) – Town of Lincoln staff presented report AD-17-22 to Council on December 5, 2022, in response to the Province of Ontario’s recently adopted Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022. The Bill received royal assent on November 28 and includes changes to the land use approvals system in the province, with the goal of facilitating the construction of 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

The Bill will result in changes to several statutes, including the Development Charges Act (DCA), Heritage Act, Municipal Act and Planning Act – which are all crucial pieces of legislation that guide land use planning in the Province of Ontario.  While the bill has received royal assent, certain aspects are effective immediately, while others will be implemented at a date to be confirmed. Further information from the provincial government is expected.  

“It is very clear that Bill 23 will have a significant impact on Ontario municipalities. While Lincoln is a unique community in many ways, we are certainly not immune to these changes,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “Amendments to these Acts will change how we fund the services and programs our community members expect from us. We will need to look seriously at the way we do business, as will all other municipalities across Ontario.”

“Staff have taken care to review Bill 23 and outline how the new legislation will affect our decision-making, funding models and collaboration with other levels of government, especially that with the Niagara Region,” added the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer Michael Kirkopoulos. “Changes to the Development Charges Act and the Planning Act will inevitably result in loss of revenues that will need to be recovered – and will very likely result in construction delays to support growth and pay for community amenities. It is my hope that if the Provincial changes result in municipalities forgoing revenue that they might otherwise receive, there should be a compensatory investment in municipal projects to make them whole.”

The staff report outlined some of the most significant impacts to municipalities:

• Reductions or exemptions to Development Charges that will impact municipalities’ DC revenue and their ability to fund growth related capital projects, thereby transferring the shortfall in funding to the existing taxpayers.
• Changes to the Heritage Act that will limit some of the tools available to municipalities for conserving properties.
• Proposed changes to the Ontario Land Tribunal Act (OLTA) that will provide more authority for the Ontario Land Tribunal to dismiss an appeal.
• Changes to the Planning Act will impact municipalities’ ability to acquire the required amount of parkland and cash in lieu through the development process. This will result in the local municipality having to purchase additional parkland and a loss of cash in lieu of parkland funds.

As a result of Council direction, the Town of Lincoln is preparing a letter to the Provincial government to be sent in December 2022, expressing concerns specific to how Bill 23 affects the Lincoln community. The letter will also address the Proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Plan as outlined in Staff Report AD-18-22. While amendments to this Plan do not affect Lincoln’s urban boundaries, the Town will clearly state its position on protecting the environment and Lincoln’s natural heritage features.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Liliana Busnello
Manager of Corporate Communications
Town of Lincoln
Direct: 905-563-2799 ext. 230
Tel: 905-563-8205

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Media Release: Town of Lincoln responds to Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 - lincoln.ca
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