Ron Butler, a mortgage industry commentator, posted a series of tweets on March 30, 2026, criticizing the rise in municipal development fees associated with new construction homes in Toronto and supporting government efforts to reduce these costs.
In one tweet dated March 30, 2026, Butler stated: “These are the Fees that Cities, Towns & Municipalities add to every new construction home And they are absolutely crazy in many places In 20 years these Fees in Toronto increased 1400% Yeah, it’s obscene really: sheer money grab The City just wanted to take their bite 4/”
Butler also commented on upcoming policy changes. On March 30, 2026 he wrote: “Today We Will Have The Announcement Of The Provincial & Federal Governments Supporting The Reduction Of Municipal Development Fees Let’s endorse this Everything that reduces Taxes is an unqualified GOOD THING Because Canadians are over taxed And Development Fees went NUTS 2/”
Addressing the nature of recent construction projects in Toronto since 2018, Butler observed: “85% of the New Construction in Toronto since 2018 has been Hi-Rise When you turn an old 6 – Storey Office Building into a 40 – Storey Condo what changed? NO new roads, libraries, parks, community centres, sports complexes, subways or public transit All that stuff is there 6/”
Development charges and related municipal fees have been identified as significant contributors to housing costs across Canada. These fees are typically levied by municipalities to help fund infrastructure and services needed for growing communities. However, critics argue that such charges can significantly increase the price of new homes and may not always correspond directly to actual increases in local infrastructure needs.
Recent discussions among policymakers at both provincial and federal levels have focused on reducing or reforming these development fees as part of broader strategies aimed at improving housing affordability.
