Changing process at city hall has adverse impact

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/09/2016 (3344 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was a time, not that long ago, Mayor Brian Bowman was all about process.

In fact, proper process was so important he was prepared to have the proposed True North Square development collapse because he believed the initial deal hadn’t been done right.

And today? Process be damned, as the mayor is prepared to forge ahead with the imposition of development fees, now recast as impact fees. They would be applied to all new residential and non-residential developments beginning Jan. 1.

Merely changing its name doesn’t make the ideas more palatable, and it underscores yet again the sheer stubbornness of this city’s mayor.

The introduction of these impact fees comes despite the fact the city still doesn’t have the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association onside on growth fees and Mr. Bowman had agreed earlier this week to continue talking to interested stakeholders.

Homebuilders are concerned development fees will hurt their business and drive new home buyers out of the city. There are some suggestions the cost of new homes could go up by as much as $30,000 if this is approved.

Qualico put a 200-lot development in East St. Paul on hold when that municipality implemented growth fees eight years ago. The developer says it is hitting pause on further development in Sage Creek as well.

Now it appears Mr. Bowman is done talking. City administration released its report Friday, mirroring the controversial Hemson Report, which was released two weeks ago. The new Implementation of an Impact Fee report recommends charges on all types of development at the rates proposed by the consulting firm.

It’s a new title page, but the content is the same. It will now go to council’s executive policy committee, and from there a vote could be held Sept. 28.

Mr. Bowman has basically guaranteed himself a battle in public — and, most likely, in court — on this topic, particularly since there are ongoing questions about whether the city has the authority to implement the fees. It clearly underscores how desperate the city is to raise revenues and balance its budget, and it’s starting to look more and more like a form of taxation, relabelled as something else.

Why the rush, then?

Mayor Bowman hasn’t properly vetted the proposal in public, he doesn’t have stakeholders onside, and it’s not even clear whether all of his councillors and administrators agree with the initiative.

It could easily be upended by the provincial government, which has already said it is unlikely to approve growth-fee charges.

Why then would Mr. Bowman spend important political capital in the pursuit of development fees for implementation in 2017?

Perhaps because 2018 is an election year. While the mayor has brushed off questions pointing out the political expediency of having this issue resolved before an election, cynics — including this editorial board — aren’t sold. Yes, municipal funding constraints transcend which mayor is in office, but Mr. Bowman may be counting on the fees being a political win as he faces the electorate come October 2018.

The mayor may indeed be on the side of angels on this one. He may have found a way to fund growing infrastructure costs while controlling urban sprawl, but pushing ahead on this without full and proper consultation isn’t the way to go.

That’s shouldn’t be the impact Mr. Bowman is trying to make.