Milton Increases Development Charges by 4%

Milton’s development charges will rise by 4% starting April 1, yet they remain among the most competitive in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The increase aligns with expected adjustments across Halton Region.

During a recent council meeting, Coun Colin Best questioned how the town’s development charges compare to those of other GTA municipalities.

“Is this comparable in terms of the increase to other municipalities?” Best asked. “This is one of the frequent accusations that municipalities face from builders, that our development charges are too high.”

Chief Financial Officer Glen Cowan confirmed that Milton’s adjustment is consistent with others. “Halton Region will be amending their bylaws at the same rate, as will the other local municipalities that we’ve consulted with,” he said.

Cowan also highlighted Milton’s competitiveness in development charges.

“Compared to GTA municipalities, our total development charges rate—while varying based on location due to water and wastewater costs—is about 16% below the median on the residential side,” Cowan said. “Of the 25 municipalities surveyed in the BMA benchmarking study, Milton ranks as the fourth lowest overall. When looking at the local portion controlled by the Town, we are 32% below the median and the third lowest.”

He also noted that less than 10% of the overall rise in housing prices—up approximately 105% from 2017 to 2023—can be directly attributed to development charges.

On the non-residential side, Cowan stated that Milton’s industrial development charges are below the median, while commercial rates are slightly above.

“Overall, our development charges are very competitive,” he said.

According to a staff report, indexing development charges annually allows Milton to keep pace with rising infrastructure costs. The 2025 capital budget includes $771.3 million from development charges, along with additional developer contributions, to support a total infrastructure investment of $1.62 billion.

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