Municipalities must collect revenue to pay for the public services they provide. The purpose of this study is to explore an appropriate balance in South Huron between revenue collected from individuals or groups for services they use, and revenue collected from the general public through the tax levy to fund services.
Projects and Initiatives
User Fee and Revenue Generation Study
Opportunities for Public Input
The public is invited to provide input on user fees until April 15, 2024. To provide feedback you can email userfeestudy@southhuron.ca or deliver written feedback to the Financial Service Department at: 322 Main St S, PO Box 759, Exeter, ON N0M 1S2, Attention: User Fee Study.
Public Consultation Meeting (March 20, 2024 at 6:00 P.M.) - Municipal Act and Planning Act Fees Public Meeting (Tuesday April 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.) - Building Code Act
Overview
The Municipality of South Huron has engaged Hemson Consulting Ltd. to complete a comprehensive review and analysis of municipal user fees. This study includes a review of fees imposed under authority of the Planning Act, Building Code Act and Municipal Act such as fees associated with development as well as licensing and permit fees associated with fire, recreation and administration services.
Contact
Kate Farwell, Financial Services Department
Email to provide public input: userfeestudy@southhuron.ca
Project Approval
As part of the 2023 Budget process, Council approved the undertaking of South Huron’s first comprehensive user fee review with a supplemental goal of identifying additional revenue opportunities.
Project Background
User fees are charged to users for Municipal services to cover part, or all, of the cost of providing these services. A primary principle in setting user fees is that those who benefit from a service should contribute to the cost of that service. In many cases, a Municipality’s user fees are set to recover the full cost of providing the applicable service. However, when setting fees, consideration is given to:
- Whether the service benefits the community or the individual
- Capacity of the user to pay
- Competitive market conditions
- Demand for services
- Limits set by Municipal policy objectives or other legislative requirements on pricing.
Currently, South Huron levies user fees through By-Laws 34-2015, as amended by By-Laws 46-2017, 5-2018, 10-2019, 2-2020, 89-2021, and 86-2022. While some of the user fees have been reviewed and updated, as evidenced by the by-law amendments, many have remained static since the initial 2015 by-law.
Frequently Asked Questions
User fees are charged to cover part, or all, of the cost of providing a municipal service. In many cases, a municipality’s user fees are set to recover the full cost of providing the applicable service. However, when setting fees consideration is also given to:
- Whether the service provides benefits to the wider community
- Ability to pay of users
- Competitive market conditions
- Demand for service
- Pricing limits set by municipal policy objectives or other legislative requirements
Documents and Reports
Contact Us
The Municipality of South Huron
322 Main Street South, P.O. Box 759
Exeter, ON N0M 1S6
Phone: 519-235-0310
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