Bit by bit, Prince Edward County’s new council leadership has promised to approach growth and waterworks planning more rationally, more transparently, and more cautiously than in the past. That is welcome language after years of controversy and frustration.
But promises of “better process” should not be confused with solutions. The County still faces the same hard math: a small population, aging infrastructure, and a tidal wave of development pressure that risks overwhelming everything from water systems to property tax bills.
Lessons from the Past
Past councils have been burned by tying up water and wastewater capacity for developers who never built. The Wellington case — where a large block of capacity was secured but sat idle — left residents paying the ongoing costs while growth never materialized. The new council says it won’t make that mistake again, hinting at “use it or lose it” policies to claw back allocations.
That’s sensible, but it doesn’t erase the underlying problem. Once the County incurs debt to expand plants or lay pipes, those costs don’t vanish when a developer pulls back. They land on residents, who already pay some of the highest water rates in Ontario.
The Scale Mismatch
Here’s the real problem no one at Shire Hall has yet solved: scale.
Picton today has about 3,000 residents. The proposed Base31 project could add 8,000 new homes. That kind of growth doesn’t just strain infrastructure — it transforms the town overnight.
Council points to the Picton Master Servicing Plan and Transportation Master Plan as roadmaps. But plans on paper don’t pour concrete or pay for pumps. Without firm financing, these plans are aspirational, not executable.
The Cost to Residents
Residents are already squeezed. Average household water bills are about $2,150 per year, nearly double what households pay in Kingston or Belleville. Some Picton families are reporting bills of $700 per cycle — more than they once paid for an entire year in the GTA.
Add in a nearly 9% property tax increase in 2024, and households are taking a double hit. Seniors on fixed incomes, working families, and small businesses are being asked to bankroll infrastructure for speculative developments that may or may not materialize.
Conservative projections show that with the $100-million Wellington water plant expansion and other upgrades, average water bills could exceed $3,000 annually within five years. Pair that with rising property taxes and many households will face bills comparable to mortgage payments.
Transparency Still Missing
What’s also missing from the County’s “new” approach is transparency. Developer negotiations involve millions of dollars in water and wastewater capacity and dictate how much growth residents must absorb. Yet there is no lobbyist registry and little public disclosure of who is meeting with whom, and on what terms.
Residents are effectively the financiers of these decisions, but they are kept in the dark. A transparent registry, already standard in Ottawa and Toronto, should be implemented here to restore trust.
The Political Reckoning
It is tempting to take comfort in the idea that new leadership will manage things better. But without structural change — real cost recovery from developers, provincial/federal funding for infrastructure, transparency in negotiations, and a willingness to say “no” to growth the County cannot afford — the outcome will be the same.
Water bills will keep climbing. Taxes will rise. Infrastructure will buckle.
Council can continue to greenlight developments in the hope that growth will eventually pay for growth. But residents know better. Without serious reforms, this model isn’t building blocks — it’s a house of cards.
And if current councillors can’t see that, then perhaps it really is time for new leadership at Shire Hall.