Municipal Finance & Development Charges

Funding municipal infrastructure and the population growth that it supports is challenging for both municipal governments and land developers. Towns and cities across the country have similar concerns with regard to how to pay for roads, water and sewer systems, transit, parks and other community services. For developers, municipal finance mechanisms, such as development charges, front-end agreements and cost sharing, can be complex and frustrating to navigate. urbanMetrics works with both municipalities and developers to promote effective and fair funding programs to develop new municipal infrastructure. Examples of assignments include municipal development charge reviews, fiscal impact analyses, cost benefit analyses of municipal investments, and tax incremental financing strategies.

Public Funding Strategies – Partnership Models

Communities across Canada face similar concerns with regards to budget constraints, senior government downloading and making the most with limited revenue sources.  Some Province’s have implemented new tools to better enable municipalities to attract economic growth and pay for new infrastructure.  We work with our municipal clients to assess the financial viability of their projects and to determine how partnership agreements and funding models can expedite development.  Some project examples have included: the construction of a new subway line; the servicing of a new community; a regional water pipe; and a new waste management site.

Business Case & Cost Benefit Analysis 

With limited access to fund large capital projects independently, stakeholder groups of all types routinely develop business cases and cost benefit studies to secure senior government involvement and project finance.  These studies are typically used to build political momentum, prioritize infrastructure and investment decisions, and document the broader socio-economic benefits realized by public investment in the project.

Project Financial Feasibility

All investors need to understand the risk associated with purchasing and developing real estate or partnering in joint venture developments.  Our firm evaluates the market opportunity and financial feasibility of proposed real estate investments.  We have a range of financial tools to evaluate the risk and potential return for most real estate products.