Building permits and by-law
Nobody should be afraid to call their own Township. Residents told me they are. That is a service problem council can fix.
What residents told me
People put off a deck, a shed or a garage because they do not know what will happen when they call. Others have had a by-law matter begin with an order rather than a conversation. Fear of the building department does not produce fewer buildings. It produces buildings without permits, which is worse for the neighbour, the owner and the Township's liability.
What the numbers say
Wainfleet's by-law enforcement payroll is $260,240 against $88,020 in West Lincoln, six times higher per resident. By-law legal fees ran about $178,000 in 2023, $155,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2025. Short-term rental fines came in at $277,155 in 2024 against a $30,000 budget. This is an enforcement-first posture, and it has a price tag.
My commitment
- A published service standard: how many business days to respond to a permit application, and public reporting on whether it is met.
- A plain-English guide on the Township website: what needs a permit, what doesn't, what it costs, what to bring.
- Mediation before enforcement on property matters. A phone call before an order.
- Complaint-driven enforcement focused on safety and real nuisance, not paperwork.
- Every resident question to me answered publicly on the Questions page.
The caveat
The Ontario Building Code is provincial law and inspectors have to apply it. Council can change the experience of dealing with the Township: the tone, the speed, the clarity. It cannot waive the Code.