Not all growth costs the same. Our development charge policy should reflect that — and $2.3 billion in provincial grants should be in Centre Wellington's hands.
The township's CAO confirmed publicly in January 2026 that development charges will rise sharply as the community nearly doubles by 2051. But the current DC structure treats a house on the edge of town the same as a rental apartment in an established neighbourhood — even though their infrastructure costs are vastly different.
Low-density greenfield development on the urban fringe requires the most infrastructure per home and generates the least long-term tax return. Infill and mixed-density development in existing neighbourhoods costs far less per unit. Our DC policy should price that difference explicitly.
Bill 17 (2025) added $400 million to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Fund — for a total of nearly $2.3 billion over four years. Applications are open. A Dunsmore administration will pursue every available dollar to offset local infrastructure costs and reduce the DC burden on affordable and rental housing projects.
Neil Dunsmore championed the township's award-winning Asset Management Plan during his previous council term. This plan documents all township infrastructure assets, assigns condition ratings and replacement timelines, and creates a long-term funding model to stabilize taxes over 25 years. It remains one of the most important financial tools Centre Wellington has. Protecting it and fully implementing it is a non-negotiable commitment.