Canmore residents to pay millions more for local infrastructure after new bylaw
CBC
Canmore taxpayers can expect a hit to their wallets in the coming years related to infrastructure costs.
The Alberta town's council approved a development charge bylaw that will shift several million dollars from developers to taxpayers, after a multi-year legal battle.
It comes after the Land and Property Rights Tribunal found Canmore’s 2024 bylaw “fundamentally flawed” and invalidated it.
Developers and the municipality now say they’re in a better place after lengthy talks last year.
“We had to go through some of the tensions and disagreements in order to get to a place to find common ground,” said Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert.
Off-site levies — or development charges — are fees paid by developers to build infrastructure for new homes.
If existing taxpayers benefit from the infrastructure, like water pipes and roads, then developers and the municipality must split the cost.
The provincial government legislates what can be taxed, while developers and municipalities find the rate.
Chris Ollenberger, who represents the development industry in Canmore, said they were “looking for a fair and transparent" process.
He said it led to an in-house model for calculating the levies, which is “night and day” compared to the previous one and leaves both sides “in a better place long term.”
Canmore’s bylaw forecasts about $290 million in future capital projects, with a roughly 50-50 split between developers and the municipality.
Adam Robertson, the town’s manager of communications, said $1.98 million — including $100,000 in interest — will be returned to developers.
The municipality had spent $581,000 as of last July in legal and expert fees defending the 2024 bylaw at the tribunal. Robertson said the up-to-date costs weren't immediately available, but it has a budget of up to $750,000.
One major change when it comes to cost-splitting will be the wastewater treatment plant.
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Canmore taxpayers can expect a hit to their wallets in the coming years related to infrastructure costs.
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