The Burlington City Council in Burlington, Ontario, is looking for new ways to encourage home building after pausing a plan to freeze $40 million in development fees. The proposal would have stopped collecting these fees from developers for two years, but critics warned the move could have forced local taxpayers to cover the missing money.
City staff estimated the fee freeze would have cost between $16 million and $42 million in lost revenue. If the plan had moved forward without outside funding, the average homeowner in the city would have seen their property taxes increase by about $391 per year.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward initially supported the freeze to help a housing market that saw only seven new homes started in early 2026. While some developers have reported layoffs and a total lack of new projects, several councillors argued that the city should not lose revenue without a guarantee of being paid back by the provincial or federal governments.
On March 2, 2026, the mayor withdrew the original proposal after facing pushback regarding the use of special mayoral powers to speed up the decision. Councillors Lisa Kearns, Rory Nisan, and Shawna Stolte successfully asked for more time to hear from the public and review the financial impact on residents.
The council has now directed staff to find alternative options that would only reduce fees if provincial or federal funding is secured to fill the gap. A new report with these options is expected to be presented to the city on April 13, 2026.
