KENILWORTH – Fees and charges for township services in Wellington North will be increasing as of Jan. 1.
Council approved the changes on Dec. 1 after finance director Jeremiah Idialu presented a report about the annual rate review.
Every year, staff reviews the township’s fees and charges, comparing them with neighboring municipalities and industry standards, and recommends adjustments to council.
Staff’s recommendations aim to improve cost recovery and align with service levels, according to the report.
The price of a zoning amendment will go up by $309 (from $10,300 to $10,609), and the price of a minor variance will rise from $2,575 to $2,652.
Official plan amendments and draft subdivision and condominium reviews will increase from $6,180 to $6,365 and site alteration applications will increase from $1,120 to $4,240.
Building permits will cost between $7 and $99 more.
All storm, water and sanitary service connection fees will increase by 1.5 per cent, and sewage allocation applications will increase from $275 to $285.
Costs for licences will increase by up to $25 – licences for donation boxes will cost $160 instead of $150, food vehicle stands will cost $125 instead of $120, and replacing a licence will cost $50 instead of $25.
For administrative services, it will cost $5 more to get documents certified (from $15 to $20) and to replace 911 signs (from $20 to $25).
Staff did not recommend any changes to fees and charges for fire/rescue.
Cemetery fees
Staff recommended many changes to the township’s cemetery services, but they were all deferred by council.
Until staff returns with a revised report on cemetery fees that is approved by council, cemetery fees and charges will remain the same in 2026 as they were in 2025.
Councillor Sherry Burke suggested the deferral, expressing concern about significant increases included in the recommendation.
Staff had recommended upping the cost of a single grave from $2,636 to $3,181 and a niche for two urns from $1,860 to $2,247.
For internment/inurnment, staff recommended increasing the fee for a child (under 12) from $300 to $1,000 and for an adult from $1,613 to $1,910.
Staff recommended increasing fees for the scattering garden from $185 to $600, inurnment in niche from $344 to $600, and cremated remains in a standard plot from $563 to $600.
For disinternment or removing remains, staff recommended increasing the fee for a standard burial from $1,613 to $2,200 and from $563 to $1,100 for cremated remains.
Idialu said the recommendations are based on an analysis of nearby municipalities and a move towards cost recovery.
He said staff would take Burke’s concerns about the cemetery increases and return to council with a “more detailed, balanced report.”
Council unanimously passed a resolution to defer the cemetery section and to pass the rest of the recommendations.
