WHEREAS the Local Government Act currently restricts the imposition of Development Cost Charges to areas of sewage, water, drainage, highway facilities and park land; AND WHEREAS new development creates capital cost burdens on municipalities in other areas, such as emergency services and transportation other than highways: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities lobby the provincial government to amend the Local Government Act to allow for the imposition of Development Cost Charges in areas other than sewage, water, drainage, highway facilities and park land.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES The suggestion that Development Cost Charges DCC be used to fund more services has been reviewed by the Development Finance Review Committee DFRC, which provides technical advice to the Ministry of Community Services Ministry. The DFRC is chaired by the Ministry and includes representatives from local government, the Province, the development community, building and real estate industries and the planning profession. There is a reasonable degree of consensus among DFRC members that DCCs are appropriate where new development requires key infrastructure sewer, water, drainage, roads and parks for the development to proceed. DCCs are based on the principle of user pay that infrastructure should be paid by those who use and benefit from it. In contrast, protective services are more appropriately paid for by the greater community, since the benefits of these services are shared by all property owners.