December 1, 2022
“I welcome the province’s commitment to making cities whole by engaging an independent, third-party auditor to examine our finances and the impacts that Bill 23 will have on our taxpayers. I understand Mississauga will be part of this process and I forward to the opportunity to demonstrate that we are strong fiscal managers that respects taxpayer’s dollars. I am confident the audit will show the same.
Throughout this process, I will continue to reiterate that cities must be compensated for any and all losses as a result of Bill 23, including lost funding for parkland acquisition.
I ask that the province begin this audit immediately and that a final report be delivered as soon as possible to avoid any financial shortfalls. We are currently planning for our 2023 Budget, and without certainty, we will be forced to raise taxes to close the funding gap.
In the meantime, I look forward to learning more details about the audit, including how housing enabled infrastructure is defined. Development charges not only fund hard infrastructure such as road, water and sewers for new housing, but also amenities like community centres, transit, fire stations and libraries, and so much more that keep our city safe and help us build complete, healthy communities.
Cities are not adding to the cost of housing or development. We only collect what we need to build the infrastructure developers need to get shovels in the ground – no more, no less.
I want to be clear that Mississauga shares the same goal as the province – to build more housing that is affordable and within reach – and we need to work together to achieve it.
Mississauga has a plan for growth, one that we believe will help developers and the province deliver on their goal of building more homes in Mississauga. Cities can help cut red tape and speed up approvals, but ultimately, developers are the ones that need to get shovels in the ground and build homes.
I want to thank the province for committing to exploring alternative tools for growth that will not impact taxpayers, and pausing the implementation of development application refund requirements which will help improve the quality of developments in our City.
Everyone must play their part in addressing the housing affordability crisis and that includes developers. If they are being incentivized to build more affordable housing, there needs to be legislation in place to ensure those savings are passed on to the homebuyer. Taxpayers should not fund developer profits.
Our Council will continue to stand up for our city and ensure we have the tools we need to build and maintain a city with a great quality of life – a place you want to live and raise your family for generations to come.
I am confident that we do that by working together with the provincial and federal government, and look forward to engaging with my counterparts in the next stage of this process.”
Bonnie Crombie
Mayor of Mississauga