TAMRMS#: B06
11.1
REQUEST FOR DECISION
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Bylaw 22/2025 - Master Rates Bylaw and Other Bylaws (1st Reading) and Other Policies that affect Fees and Charges
Presented by: Atul Saini, Financial Controller, Financial & Strategic Services
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
recommendation
That Bylaw 22/2025, being a bylaw to amend the Master Rates Bylaw and various other bylaws under which fees, rates and charges are set, be read a first time.
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SUMMARY
Administration is seeking adjustments to the City’s fees, rates, and charges as referenced in Council Policy and established by bylaws, as part of the 2026-2028 Municipal Budget Process.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
Council Policy C-FS-16, Municipal Fees and Charges, provides that the CAO will set certain fees specified in the Policy, that are not prescribed by Council by way of bylaw:
“The CAO shall review and set fees for the programs, services, goods and requirements noted within this policy. The CAO shall also advise Council annually of these fees during the budget process.”
Council Policy C-FS-16 also stipulates, in Schedule 11, that if a fee or charge is set in a bylaw, only Council can adjust it:
“Council shall set fees contained within bylaw. The CAO shall make recommendation(s) as to the appropriate fee, as necessary.”
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
User fees are a critical element of a municipality’s revenue mix and represent a significant portion of the City’s revenue stream. Annually, departments review fees considering factors such as market comparables, benchmarks, cost recovery and the methodologies prescribed by Council in Policy C-FS-16 Municipal Fees and Charges that set parameters around the CAO’s authority to determine the fees adjustment in the case of fees that are not directly set by Council in a bylaw. This review process supports the City’s ‘user pay’ philosophy such that wherever and to the extent possible, the user of a particular program or service pays the cost of delivering or providing that program or service.
There are two types of fees as described below:
1. Fees, Rates and Charges Set By Bylaw
(requires Council approval since only Council has authority to pass bylaws)
The first type is a user fee set in one of the bylaws specifically mentioned in Schedule 11 of Policy CFS-16 or in the Master Rates Bylaw 1/82 and requires Council to pass one or more amending bylaws in order to make rate or fee changes. These fees are mandatory, and Administration has no discretion to waive them in the situations and with respect to the persons to whom they apply. This includes fees for such things as development permits, building permits, and electrical permit fees. The individual schedules can be found in the attachment to this report entitled “Fees Contained in Bylaw” with recommended changes to rates marked in red. Making the recommended bylaw amendments would generate an incremental $114,200 in Municipal Operating Revenue for 2026.
To provide both Council and the public with adequate time to review Administration's recommended amendments to the fees and charges that are set by bylaw, it is proposed that first reading only of Bylaw 22/2025 occur on September 2, 2025, and that second and third reading of the bylaw be scheduled through the Agenda Planning process for the regular Council meeting on September 16, 2025. The text of amending Bylaw 22/2025 is found in the attachment entitled “Master Rates and Bylaw Fees Amending BL 22-2025”.
2. Council Policy C-FS-16 Fees
(approved by CAO as per Policy)
The second type of fee or charge relates to fees and charges referenced in Council Policy C-FS-16 Municipal Fees and Charges as being within the authority of the CAO, subject to the methodologies set out in the Policy that the CAO is obligated to follow when setting these kinds of fees. This includes fees for things such as recreational memberships, facility rentals and transit fares. The individual schedules can be found in the attachment entitled “Fees Contained in Council Policy C-FS-16 Municipal Fees and Charges”. Since the CAO sets these fees and charges following the methodologies prescribed by Council in the Policy, this schedule is attached to this report for Council’s information. The estimated impact of these fee and charge adjustments is approximately $157,600 in increased Municipal Operating Revenue for 2026.
The cumulative impact of (a) the CAO’s fee adjustments and (b) the adjustments that Administration seeks from Council through bylaw amendments, would be to generate an estimated incremental $271,800 in Municipal Operating Revenue for 2026. If the recommended bylaw amendments are passed, these dollar impacts will be factored into the 2026 budget to be presented to Council later in Q4 2025.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
N/A
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
Amendment of the fees as detailed in the attachments will generate an incremental $271,800 in Municipal Operating Revenue which has been incorporated into the 2026 Proposed Budget. This will provide funding for the delivery of various municipal programs and services while continuing to support the City’s user pay philosophy.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time
Program or Service:
None at this time
Organizational:
None at this time
Risks
None at this time
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
None at this time
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Financial Planning
Stewardship and Development of annual operating and capital budgets for Municipal and Utility operations.
IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
ALTERNATIVE 1: Council can recommend an amendment to any fee adjustment in Bylaw 22/2025 or to any fee or charge contained in any bylaw referenced in Bylaw 22/2025 whether or not it is being recommended for adjustment at this time. It is respectfully requested that any such proposed amendment sought by any Councillor be submitted to Legislative Services by 12:00 noon on Friday, September 12, 2025 in the form of a postponed motion. Any such postponed motions will then be brought to Council for consideration on September 16, 2025 in conjunction with second and third readings of Bylaw 22/2025. This timing will allow Administration to know where we stand in respect of fees, rates, and charges before finalizing the proposed 2026 budget.
Financial:
None at this time – dependent on the changes proposed, if any.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time
Program or Service:
None at this time
Organizational:
None at this time
Risks
None at this time
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Report Date: September 2, 2025
Author(s): Atul Saini
Department: Financial and Strategic Services
Department Director: Anne Victoor
Managing Director: Diane McMordie
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher