By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
After years of stagnation, Chatham-Kent’s growth strategy is reversing the trend.
That’s according to Bruce McAllister, C-K’s general manager of community development and chief financial officer Gord Quinton. Both provided an update to C-K council at the March 23 meeting.
Adopted in 2020, the Growth Strategy established three key targets annually including increasing the population by one per cent, increasing the number of jobs by half a per cent, and increasing the tax assessment by 1.5 per cent.
“They seemed to be pretty lofty targets at the time” McAllister said.
A key plank of the growth strategy is the Community Improvement Plan (CIP). It’s a municipal planning tool used to revitalize or target designated areas through grants and financial incentives. Four branches of the program include the building and planning fee rebate program capped at $20,000; facade improvement program geared to downtown areas; funds to convert commercial spaces into residential (specific grants for affordable housing) and the property tax increment equivalent program, which provides a five- or 10-year tax equivalent grant for major residential and employment uses.
Since 2020, 360 CIP grant applications have been approved, McAllister said, leading to the construction of new apartment buildings, something that hadn’t happened in the previous 25 years.
“It’s been a very popular and successful program since it was initiated in 2020,” McAllister told council. “These are only offered on the tax difference once you improve the property for a limited period of time.”
Since 2016, C-K has seen a population increase of 8.1. per cent to an estimated 113,000. In the last year alone, the population rose by 1,373, marking the fastest single growth year in more than 20 years, outpacing all neighbouring communities.
Interprovincial migration accounts for the largest increase, with former Windsor and the GTA residents leading the way.
McAllister pointed out that it’s not just seniors moving to Chatham-Kent, as young families make up 25 per cent of new residents.
The municipality is currently working on its Official Plan Growth Management Study, McAllister said and will likely be starting on a new official plan later this year. It will take two years.
Other Master Plans adopted by council include a Parks and Recreation Master Plan with an estimated 10-year capital cost of $225 million; the Fire Master Plan, with a 10-year capital cost of $20 million; a 10-year community stormwater master plans for Ridgetown, Tilbury and Shrewsbury with a cost of $45 million.
The PUC Water and Wastewater Master Plan has identified an estimated $1.1 billion need over the next 10 years, as well as a strategic housing action plan for the next decade with a cost of $150 million.
In his comments, Quinton detailed nine sources of funding for growth, noting the municipality has been successful in expanding its assessment base.
According to Quinton, Chatham-Kent is “doing great” on its investment portfolio, which has brought in $16 million annually in the last two years.
Also, he said, once the CIP grants expire, there will be a “huge” increase in tax revenues starting in 2032 and sooner, with some of the commercial CIPs.
Quinton also pointed out that C-K hasn’t issued any new debt debentures since 2013, adding council has adopted a “pay as you go” policy for replacing aging assets such as roads and bridges.
But in the case of financing upcoming major projects, Quinton said the cost can be spread out over generations.
“Chatham-Kent is in an excellent financial position with our balance sheet, that’s almost debt free,” he said. “Congratulations council, we’re in a great financial position.”
Noting that the municipality can now borrow at four per cent, Quinton said that “now is the time to invest in C-K.”
