Editor:
Re: waiving of development cost charges (District of Sechelt council briefs, Coast Reporter, June 25).
Development cost charges (DCC) are monies collected from land developers by municipalities to offset some of the infrastructure expenditures incurred in servicing new developments.
The charges are intended to facilitate new development by providing a method to finance capital projects related to water, roads, drainage, parks and sanitary sewer services.
The Ministry of Com-munity and Rural Devel-opment has indicated, when a DCC is waived, the forgone DCC revenue can be recovered from the existing pool of taxpayers. That forgone amount can come from general revenue, most likely taxation.
In the case of a specified area, the entire community should assist in paying. Before the Inspector of Municipalities approves a bylaw, they would not permit rates to be established that were increased due to the expectation of waivers.
Arthur Whistler
Sechelt
