Speed Camera Legislation, First-Time Homebuyer HST Relief, AMO’s Homelessness Research Update & Energy Advocacy

Top Insights

• The province is fast-tracking its Bill banning municipal speed cameras, limiting MPP debate and bypassing public consultation.
• AMO commends the province for providing tax relief to first-time homebuyers.
• AMO is working with OMSSA, NOSDA and municipal partners to update data from our groundbreaking January 2025 homelessness report.
• AMO provided the province with advice on how to best implement a data centre strategy that protects utility capacity needed to deliver housing and economic priorities.
• The province announced a new advisory panel to recommend ways to strengthen local electricity distribution, responding to AMO’s call for new Local Distribution Company (LDC) funding approaches.

Province to Fast-Track Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025

The provincial government will fast-track their red tape reduction Bill tabled earlier this month, which included amendments to the Highway Traffic Act to remove municipal authority to operate Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE). The government’s proposal would halt debate in the legislature at the second reading stage and bypass the legislative committee stage that typically follows.

By eliminating this essential component of the democratic process, the government removes the public’s ability to comment and provide feedback on the Bill’s numerous proposals, many of which will directly impact municipalities. See AMO’s previous post for a summary of these proposals. AMO is disappointed in the government’s decision as we had planned to use the legislative committee process to provide comments and detail the impacts of the Bill for the municipal sector. However, we look forward to providing feedback on the Bill through any future Regulatory/Environmental Registry postings.

AMO has written to Minister Sarkaria advocating for early collaboration with municipalities on the design of the new road safety funding program to ensure investments translate to improved road safety and highlighting the significant sunk costs municipalities have invested into ASE in accordance with provincial regulation.

Tax Break for New Homebuyers

Yesterday, the province announced a new rebate for the provincial portion of the HST for first-time home buyers of most new and substantially renovated homes. This mirrors proposed federal policy, combining to give first-time buyers a full HST break on qualifying homes under $1 million. Provincial and federal plans allow for a phased HST reduction for first-time buyers for qualifying homes between $1-1.5 million. AMO commends the province on taking steps to reduce the cost of new homes for first-time home buyers. This tax relief could boost buyer demand and help increase new home construction – an important priority for municipalities and the province.

Homelessness Research

AMO has partnered with OMSSA, NOSDA and HelpSeeker Technologies to update some of the data included in Municipalities Under Pressure: The Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis. The original report was successful, in large part, because we had full participation from all 47 municipal service managers. AMO is encouraging all impacted municipalities and District Social Services Administration Boards to participate and support AMO’s continued advocacy on the homelessness crisis.

AMO’s Advocacy on Ontario’s Data Centre Plan

AMO submitted comments to the province with advice on how to best implement its plan to prioritize the connection of large-load facilities, including data centres, to Ontario’s electricity grid. Given escalating electricity capacity constraints, AMO supports the province's prioritization framework for data centres to avoid them impeding housing and economic growth. We recommended criteria for data centre prioritization and asked that the final process involve collaboration with municipalities and retain local planning approval authority.

New Local Electricity Distribution Panel

On Monday, the province announced a new advisory table named the “Panel for Utility Leadership and Service Excellence” (PULSE). PULSE’s industry and municipal members will make recommendations to the province on local distribution company (LDC) funding and service delivery. Ontario’s LDCs will need upwards of $120 billion to meet growing electricity demands over the next 25 years. Making sure that LDCs can fund and deliver infrastructure when and where it is needed is critical to supporting local housing and economic growth. AMO is pleased that the panel will be responding to our call for new funding and financing mechanisms to renew and expand LDC infrastructure.