A staff recommendation to exempt coverall buildings and other other ancillary structures of low value from development charges (DCs) was rejected by Quinte West council on Wednesday.
Currently a coverall building constructed in a commercial/industrial zone at a cost of $150,000 would be hit with development charges totalling almost as much as the cost of construction.
Quinte West businessman Jeff Morehouse told council those kinds of charges were a disincentive to business expansion.
Everyone on council agreed they were too high but under the development charge by-law the cost of any DC exemptions
must be picked up by the general taxpayer.
Development charges are a big part of the city’s annual budgets.
Council first voted to exempt coveralls and other low value buildings from DCs but the motion lost 7-6.
Voting against a total exemption were councillors Armstrong, Card, Kotsovos, Reid, Roseblade, Sharpe, and Stedall.
Then council voted on a Councillor Shelley Stedall motion to exempt such structures from the water/sewer part of DCs, about
70 per cent of the total. Most ancillary buildings do not use water/sewer services.
That motion lost on a tie vote 6-6 as Councillor O’Neil had left the meeting prior to the vote.
