The new car accident fee is one of 13 new user fees approved by council in late July to try to increase city revenue. Photo Credit: iStock.
St. Catharines councillors approved a raft of changes to city fees as part of a regular review of all city fees, which were originally set as part of the city’s current three-year plan, which runs from 2024 to 2026.
The most notable new fee focuses on drivers who end up in car accidents in St. Catharines but don’t live in the city.
For drivers who don’t live in St. Catharines but end up in a car accident, they will face a $559.86 fee if the fire department has to respond to the incident.
That one new fee alone is expected to generate $70,500 in new revenue for St. Catharines, as up to 10 per cent of the accidents that happen in the city involve drivers who don’t live in the municipality.
According to city staff, 14 other Ontario municipalities already charge such a fee, although that represents just three per cent of Ontario’s 444 municipalities. The province charges a similar fee as well when accidents occur on provincial highways.
The new car accident fee is just one of 13 new user fees approved by council in late July to try to increase city revenue.
Another fee change involves the city’s Garden City Golf Course. Currently, golfers can only pay to play a full 18 holes. This amendment now allows golfers to play nine holes for a lower fee.
In addition, there is a phased-in increase to select business license fees, as well as a suite of new development charges, including a Master Plan Review Fee for large multi-phased redevelopments, a building permit pre-consultation fee and a concurrent building permit review fee.
Two types of city fees are also being eliminated, including business licence compliance letter fees and paper and magazine vending box fees.
City staff anticipate these fee changes will lead to a tax increase of $153,000 in 2025 and $181,000 in 2026.
Tax increases allowed under Mayor Mat Siscoe’s watch have been much more limited than in other municipalities in Niagara Region. This year’s property tax increase (lower-tier portion) was kept at 1.49 per cent and fee increases in the 2024 budget were also quite limited.
Siscoe has repeatedly said his focus remains on ensuring affordability for St. Catharines taxpayers.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
