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v>Development charge decision expected at Region tom.orrow ByfJASON MISNER The Champion Milton Mayor Gord Krantz says Halton's four municipalities risk losing out on big-time tax dollars if a proposai that businesses pay more money to set up shop goes through. "I predict (some businesses) will walk away," he said. Pending regional council approval, industrial businesses and retail busmnesses will have to pay m'ore money based on the size of their building. Caled developmnens charges, it's money used so service an ares with things like water and sewer pipes. The Region also uses a portion of the money for its own roads, water, sewer and police needs. Mr. Krantz, opposed to the pro- posai, thinks Milton wouldn't have seen nearly as much of the 500,000 square-feet of new building space constructed last year if the new bylaw was in effect. Currently, industrial businesses are offered discounts, which means they pay 50 per cent of the ful developmnens charge. TIhe proposai would see industri- al businesses psy 75 per cent of the total charges, and retail full price. The changes would be phased in and would corne fuly into effect January 1, 2004. Iwas discussed as the regionai level in October, but no formai decision was made. The recom- mendation was nanrowly passed by the Region's administration and finance commnittee last week, and needs so be ratified by regionai council to become officiai. Regional counicil will meet tomor- row at 9:30 ar. The way development charges works is like this. The Region, the municipality and the sehool boards charge money to be colected based on the size of a building. That means the Region charges roughly $4 per square foot and the changes would see developers psy about $3 of that full price. A l,OO-square-foot building would generate $30,000 in devel- opment charges, for example. Region has missed out on $9 million: manager Mark Scinocca, manager of budgets and development finane- ing, said since the discounts were introduced in 1999, the Region has missed out on coilecting $9 mil- lion, he said. The changes would mean the Region stands to coilecs $1.7 mil- lion between May and next sum- mer that it otherwise wouldn't get. This money will go toward region- ai services. Talk of development charges may not sound terribly exciting, but Ontario municipalities use them as s key seling point to lure businesses. And businesses help keep your local taxes down by psy- ing their fair share. Some argue the issue of develop- ment charges is more a difference in business philosophy, that it does- n't necessarily make or break the decision hy a business to locate. But some regionai poliicians don's want to test the theory. They fear forcing companies to psy more development charges wil force them to go where those costs are cheaper, and seen a means to keep their bottom lie down. Regional Chairperson Joyce Savoline said she understands that businesses wilI look at every finan- ciai angle to get the best deai for themselves, and she doesn't blame themn for that. But she said ifsa business decides nos to locate here because of thse development charges, s0 be it. Ms Savoline said the bottom lime is this: The Region is missing out on coilecsing these development charges and the shortfsll is being borne on the shoulders of taxpayers who are already facing continued pressures from provinc ial down- loading. "We're nos hitting the industrisi sector because they're an easy target. But (taxpayers) are saymng, 'Woah, we can's handle anymlore taxes.", *O3New Yesrs esolutIons -op Payment FreeZ kO 3* OptuirNo Paym.nts for 12 Months *NO DOWNPAYMENT 03 0 NO INTEREST (FOR 1- 12 NONTHS) 0 NO PAYMENTS (FOR M 12I1-10NTHS ON FINANCE CONTRACTS ONLY - REGULAR BANK RATS AMPYTHIEREAFTER) 100 Dsys m NoiNoiNoV e NO DOWNPAYMENT e NO INTEREST e NO PAYMENTS pp«r O% FNA-IGON 0 FOR 36 MONTHS . * V 9%FOR 48 NONTHS Driu Amay L.asing* e NO FIRST PAYMENT e NO SECURITY DEPOSIT Péae LOW, LOW LEASE RATES momm. ON SELECTED MODELS Watch for Our-** Us.4 car Sale lrL JaDealer for deJals All ina ;iý apliesto ost new & demonstrmiorsdt" ce cntrata ae O..C= 'payment tree for 2W30 03 r- PONTIAC e BUICK e CADILLAC oi