The Town of Cobourg’s Communications Department is pleased to announce the launch of a new project on Engage Cobourg to gather feedback from residents as part of the Comprehensive User Fee Study.
Services Ontario municipalities provide are primarily funded through either user fees paid directly by those using the service or municipal taxes paid by all landowners.
Other minor funding sources also exist such as operating grants and fundraising. Charging fees for the user of certain services helps align the costs of providing those services with those who benefit from the use of the service, while reducing the costs that would be funded through municipal taxes.
Decisions on whether the costs of service are funded fully or in part by user fees is typically driven by the following factors:
• Can access to the service be restricted (e.g. facility access)
• Does the service provide a benefit to the community or just to the individual using the service (e.g., open park space vs. planning application). Community benefits
include:
o Essential life and safety skills for all ages;
o Basic essential introductory programming, that enhances social well being for children, youth, and seniors;
o Developing and encouraging community involvement, leadership, and volunteerism; and
o Economic benefits
• Would fees impact the use of the service and negatively impact the municipalities service delivery objectives (e.g. are the fees affordable and what do other municipalities/service providers charge? Would the fee decrease compliance with the required process?)
About the Comprehensive User Fee Study
The Town of Cobourg is currently undertaking a review of user fees across a variety of municipal services, including:
• Use of municipal facilities (e.g., Cobourg Community Centre, Victoria Hall, and Concert Hall)
• Public Works, Engineering, and Environmental Services (e.g., septic waste, permits, development engineering fees)
• Finance (e.g., tax certificates overdue tax notices)
• Fire Services (e.g., false alarm response and burn permits)
• Municipal licensing, by-law enforcement, and clerks (e.g., by-law enforcement inspections, business licenses, dog tags, marriage licences, and death
certificates)
• Marina (e.g., dockage fees)
• Trailer Park/Campground (e.g., seasonal and nightly bookings)
• Parks (e.g., soccer field or ball diamond rental)
• Planning applications (e.g., zoning by-law amendment and minor variance applications)
• Special Events (e.g., special event permits and filming)
The objectives of the review are to understand the full costs of providing these services before developing policies on how these services should be funded and the fees that should be charged for the use of these services.
How to Participate
Take the survey and/or leave a comment in the online forum by visiting EngageCobourg.ca. The survey and forum are available until Sunday, September 10, 2023.
Register on Engage Cobourg Today!
Residents of the Town of Cobourg are encouraged to create a profile online and participate in current public engagement projects. To register on Engage Cobourg, an online public engagement platform designed to gather feedback and comments from residents, visit EngageCobourg.ca and click the Register Today! button. For questions or help registering please email communications@cobourg.ca.