To develop or not to develop...that is the question.

With an election looming many people are worried that Cochrane can't keep up with the rapid development we have seen over the past few years.

The tricky part is, development pays for many large scale infrastructure bills through off-site levies. The aquatic/curling centre, the bridge, and James Walker Trail to name a few are all projects that could not go forward without the additional funds.

Councillor Morgan Nagel says the town has chosen to develop in such a way that we're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

"We have put ourselves in a position willingly where we're continually dependent on continual residential development in order to fund our already needed infrastructure projects. This is something I was very concerned about year's ago when I said we should be taking our MSI grants and putting them towards infrastructure instead of the wave pool but that is something council wanted to go ahead with where would rely on levies for the development of infrastructure. I think that was an unwise thing, but the reality is we have gone in that direction that is the financial situation we're in and the projects we're being faced with today. Southbow Landing is a big one and we have to approve it in order to get the land to build the road connections that are required to accommodate not just Southbow landing but actually all the other thousands and thousands of homes that have been approved over Cochrane."

In 2016, the Town of Cochrane collected a total of $4,358,430 from developers. Off-site levies imposed in 2016 were $2,509,323 for approximately 17 hectares where $1,299,289 was collected. Collections in 2016 from levies imposed in 2015 were $3,059,141, for a total of $4,358,430. In 2016, developers also voluntarily contributed $453,102 toward recreation and park needs in Cochrane. 

Mayor Ivan Brooker says many people don't understand that without development levies, taxes will skyrocket.

"I think most people figure developmeny is bad but I find it kind of ironic when I hear that because a lot of times they are living in some of the new communities and if we shut it down they wouldn't even live here. I don't believe development is bad and yes, the developers are the ones that literally pay for everthing. They pay for the roads, the sidewalks, the parks, the pathways and put money towards out infrastructure projects like our new aquatic centre."

Brooker also shared that the provincial government is in the process of changing the rules of the Municipal Government Act which will allow off-site levies to fund fire stations, RCMP stations and libraries in future years. "If the developers weren't paying for some of these projects through levies, your taxes would absolutely be going up."

Unfortunately things may get worse before they get better. New developments being approved are needed to fund connectivity infrastructure projects. "Sometimes you have growth but then you need to increase some traffic connectivity but it takes a little bit more growth to facilitate that."

Nagel agrees that the way things stand now not pursuing growth especially on the south side of the river would have challenges. Road connectivity comes with development; while we could say no, it puts pressure on the thousands of residents already living there.

Besides saying no to some of Cochrane's wish list of infrastructure projectsIn the future, Nagel would love to see future council and mayor take a more strategic approach by placing higher off-site levies on developers so we fund what we need but with less growth. "How off-site levies are determined or the rate they are set at isn't strictly defined at this point and is something that is a bit of a negotiation, to my understanding, and I personally would like us to raise off-site levies so that for each new development we get even more money per unit so we increase the share the development industry has to pay so we can get more money with less development."

In the end if communities don't grow, says Brooker, the downside is huge. "Every community out there if they had a choice would like to have continuous steady growth. It doesn't have to be like some of the years we've had, but a growing community is a healthy community."