Friday, December 2, 2022 3Brooklin Town Crier 905.655.6200 www.brooklineyecare.ca I have never seen anything like this. Ontario's Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act which the Ford government passed on Monday, is a nightmare. Aimed at building 1.5 million more homes in 10 years, it will freeze development fees (DCs - Development charges) from developers for critical infrastructure to support residents of the new builds. An incentive, the government says. I was just at our AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) meeting last week and colleagues from across Ontario are throwing their hands in the air over this. In reference to the destruction of the conservation authorities, it's being called a dumpster fire. In our caucus meeting, one representative asked if Bill 23 was written on a napkin. Why are the politicians so outraged, you ask? Simply put, it's like this. We will be left with no choice but to substantially raise your taxes or slash your services. And I am not talking about the 2% we all usually moan over. Start thinking higher...way higher. Early estimates in Whitby are over 30%. (34 Million per year). Yes, you read that right. 30%! You are going to read a lot of papers in the city that will blanket the lost items of Bill 23 as parklands, roads, sewers, transit. But I am going to spell it out for you right here what that means to Brooklin. This legislation will put all our plans on hold. I suspect our new sports centre may get derailed. Even if we do get the province to name Whitby for the new hospital, I have no idea how we will ever come up with the money in the Region to actually build the thing. Looking down the immediate list, I would say that future DCs would have also paid for widening Columbus Road, building the mid-block road and providing playground equipment and sports field installations in the newer areas about to be built. A special gift from Doug Ford is the direction that we need to upgrade the water treatment plant in Pickering to take the downflow from York Region. Not to mention the Greenbelt lands that are now ap- Time to cue the outrage Special from Deputy Mayor Rhonda Mulcahy parently part of the white belt. We will now need to shift direction to ensure we have water and sewer built to them. Don't even get me started on transit, libraries or fire stations. Nothing about this policy is sensible or viable. And ironically, the revenue losses will limit our ability to advance the necessary infrastructure to support any new housing. It is entirely backwards. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark says this will transform the system. Easy to say from Brockville while the rest of us in the fastest growing areas of the country are held down and pummeled with legislation that will cripple our municipalities. I grew up in Brooklin. I am not a fan of growth, but it is naive to think that on a planet that just surpassed 8 billion souls we will remain a small town. The devil is in the details in how we will grow. But the details just got swiped out from under us. We are calling on the Province to revoke this Bill, engage Ontario municipalities and residents, and more carefully consider Bill 23's impact on current and future taxpayers. I will keep you updated. But in the meantime, feel free to catch up with me. Unleash the outrage. #1 Realtor in All of Durham Region!* 9 Daley Ave, Bowmanville For Sale! 16 Bridlington St, Scarborough SOLD! 84 Barchester Cres, Brooklin SOLD! 52 Marchwood Cres, Bowmanville For Sale! 93 Raglan Rd W, Oshawa For Sale! 48 Carnwith Dr W, Brooklin For Sale! Custom Luxury New Build 142 Underwood Dr, Brooklin SOLD! 58 Wells Cres, Brooklin For Sale! 870 Derry Court, Oshawa Coming Soon! Brooklin is Tanya Tierney Country!Brooklin is Tanya Tierney Country! *Based on RE Stats Inc. Data for Toronto MLS Volume Sold Jan to Dec 2021* 162 Conant St, Oshawa For Sale! 82 Country Estates Dr, Scugog For Sale! Call or Text: 905.706.3131 office@tanyatierneyteam.com 49 Baldwin St. Brooklin 1153 Forest Hill Court, Oshawa Coming Soon!