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About development charges

Development charges are fees collected by the City for new development and redevelopment of land. Collecting development charges is the City’s primary revenue tool for funding growth-related capital costs. This reduces the overall burden on the taxpayer.

The City collects these charges according to the Province of Ontario’s Development Charges Act.

How development charges support the City

New construction and redevelopment of buildings attract more people to live and work in Mississauga. As a result, the population and employment grows. The City has to undertake more infrastructure projects and continue to provide a stable level of service.

The money the City collects from development charges pays for part of the capital costs due to more people using City infrastructure. These are also known as ‘growth-related capital costs’. Examples of capital projects development charges could help to fund include:

  • Building a new fire station
  • Constructing underpasses to address increased traffic
  • Purchasing MiWay buses
  • Expanding libraries and community centres

City Council approves capital projects every year during the annual budget process. City Council uses development charges to fund capital projects that benefit the whole City, not just the area from where they are collected.

Without these charges, the City would have to pay for growth-related capital costs from property taxes or another source of revenue.

Development charges help fund growth-related capital costs for the following municipal services:

  • Libraries
  • Recreation and parks development
  • By-law enforcement and court services
  • Development-related studies
  • Fire services
  • Public works
  • Transit
  • Roads and related infrastructure
  • Stormwater management
  • Living Arts Centre (debt)

Each year the City’s Treasurer provides Council with a financial statement. This statement summarizes development charges reserve fund activity for the year.

It includes the following information for each service that has a development charge reserve fund:

  • Revenues collected
  • Capital expenditures
  • Closing balances
  • Interest earned

View the Annual Treasurer’s Statement on the City’s finance reports page.

Contact us

For questions about the City’s development charges, call 311 (905-615-4311 outside City limits) or email customer service.

For questions related to the Region of Peel’s development charges, call 905-791-7800 ext. 4439.

For questions about education development charges, please contact:

  • Peel District School Board: 905-890-1010 ext. 2216
  • Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board: 905-890-0708, ext. 24440