Every year over the last decade, Oakville has budgeted $500,000 for legal fees.
Most years, it has overspent that – thanks in large part to the battle to save Glen Abbey golf course that cost nearly $12 million to wage.
But provincial changes to various planning laws appear to have emboldened developers, making an increased number of legal battles in front of the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) likely.
During recent budget deliberations, Mayor Rob Burton noted the call in an Oakville News editorial for town council to stand up for residents who oppose provincially mandated growth.
He added that councillors have so far opted against approval of more than 7,000 new housing units since October’s election, with many of those applications destined for appeal to the OLT.
Fighting those battles will cost money, said Burton, who suggested the legal budget should be upped to $1 million for 2023.
"If we don’t wind up in lots of expensive fights, it won’t be spent. It will go into the tax stabilization reserve fund," he said.
"If we’re girding for war, we ought to recognize that and appropriate appropriately, if I can use those two words in the same sentence."
The committee opted against bumping up the budget, with councillors noted that overspending could be drawn from the tax stabilization fund, as has been done in previous years.
But Ward 6 councillor Tom Adams, who favours a higher legal budget, suggested the issue might be revisited when town council considers the proposed 2023 at its meeting on Feb. 27.
