UPDATE: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, 1 p.m.
Due to bad weather on Jan. 12, the date of the meeting has been changed to Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.
The Township of Madawaska Valley is holding a public meeting next week to discuss a proposal that will have a big impact on residential taxpayers and builders.
The Township is considering bringing in development charges, something many municipalities have already.
If a proposed bylaw goes ahead, anyone who builds a house or business in the Township will be charged a rate that is meant to help the municipality cover the increased infrastructure and service costs that come with population growth.
Planning Director Luke Dejardins says Madawaska Valley is projected to see more growth in the coming years, so the charge is worth discussing.
“Not to my knowledge has there been a development charge in Madawaska Valley, previously,” he says. “But it’s always an ongoing concern when development occurs. It might have been the COVID-related boom in the rural areas where it really put the issue at the forefront. There was a real spike in growth.
Dejardins says development charges can ease pressure on individual taxpayers.
“I do think, generally speaking, it’s good for the community, it’s good for the existing taxpayers in Madawaska Valley, because it doesn’t put the burden (of population growth) on them.”
The meeting was set for Thursday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m., but has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.
Information on how to participate in the meeting – and more on the proposed bylaw – is on the Township’s website. After the public meeting, council will make a final decision, likely in February, on whether to bring in the charges.