Ministry of Education

Norfolk County is urging the Ministry of Education to coordinate growth planning and reform education property tax collection to ensure schools and infrastructure keep pace with development.

Where we're at

Norfolk County is experiencing significant growth pressures, with new residential development and urban boundary expansions underway. Greater coordination between all levels of government—provincial ministries, school boards, and municipalities—is needed to ensure growth happens in a sustainable and efficient way.

Currently, timelines for development approvals, infrastructure servicing, and land-use planning are not always aligned with school capacity planning or the Ministry’s funding and approvals process. This misalignment creates challenges for municipalities, school boards, and families, and can lead to service gaps.

Additionally, the way education property taxes are collected through the municipal property tax system has long raised concerns around fairness, transparency, and administrative efficiency. Municipalities bear the responsibility of collection without adequate flexibility or clarity, while also managing increasing financial pressures related to growth and service delivery.

Our ask of the Ministry of Education:

• Work with municipalities, school boards, and other provincial ministries to improve coordination of growth planning, aligning timelines and approvals so that schools and related infrastructure are in place where and when communities need them.
• Review the current education property tax collection system to ensure it is fair, transparent, and administratively efficient, recognizing the added pressures municipalities face in managing growth.
• Explore opportunities for joint planning forums or a standardized process that brings municipalities, school boards, and provincial ministries together earlier in the growth planning process to prevent delays and mismatches between growth and service delivery.