Langford to reduce costs to developers
Posted by Steven Hurdle on December 18, 2011
At the inaugural meeting of the newly elected Langford Council, Mayor Young charted a new course for the municipality for the coming years.
In the past Langford Council has bragged about how Langford is an expensive municipality to develop in; that Langford provides faster, simpler approvals for projects than other municipalities which saves developers costs, and that in return Langford charges higher development cost charges and asks for more amenities than other municipalities do. This is apparently, and surprisingly, about to change.
Though surprisingly I could find no evidence of this being announced during the campaign, the first initiative of this new Council, according to Mayor Young, will be to reduce those fees that developers and businesses pay. Noting that Langford is near the top end of costs for the 13 local municipalities, and has been “for the last 4 to 5 years,” and noting that Langford has been successful in charging that, Young announced that it was nonetheless time to change.
Langford Council is embarking on a 5 year plan to get those DCCs and other fees down to the lower end of the spectrum of the local 13 municipalities. Not discussed it how this will be accomplished while keeping residential taxes low, as Langford Council has proudly done in part on the backs of developers. He also announced that Avi Friedman would be returning in 1.5 months for something similar to what was done in 2008 during the recession, to help shape the municipality’s new course.
What do you all think of this post-election direction? Sound off in the comments.
Langforder said
The Grinch Christmas song was still blasting out around the glowing Grinch green water of the round-about fountain, the glowy community event calendars with associated glowing ads around town and the glitzy city website event and meeting calendars all seem stuck in Dec. 2011? It must have been a better year – 2012 might be pretty lean. No tax increase and way less DCC charges. I guess the city will be paying bills with borrowed money and when that runs out – maybe some funny money?