New Deputy for Development and Growth

Summary#

This item appoints a new Deputy City Manager for Development and Growth at the City of Toronto. The goal is to speed up development approvals and help build more housing, including affordable homes, by putting key services under one senior leader. It also responds to new provincial rules that require fee refunds if the City misses decision timelines on development applications.

Key changes:

• Creates a new Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth, and appoints Jag Sharma to the role, effective August 14, 2023 (subject to acceptance of employment terms).
• Puts City Planning, Toronto Building, the Housing Secretariat, and a new Development Review Division under this Deputy City Manager.
• Aims to streamline decisions, improve accountability, and coordinate work on development and housing.
• Authorizes the City Manager to negotiate the employment terms and release the appointee’s name and résumé summary publicly.
• States that funding for the position will come from the Development Application Review Reserve Fund.

What it means for you#

• Developers and planning applicants

  • You could see a more coordinated review process and potentially faster timelines for planning and building approvals.
  • A new Development Review Division is expected to focus on review and approval of applications. Application rules do not change here; this is an administrative change.
  • The City aims to meet provincial timelines that now trigger fee refunds if decisions are late.

• Residents, homebuyers, and renters

  • Over time, this could help move more housing projects through the system, including affordable housing. The item does not promise specific numbers or deadlines.
  • Day-to-day services for residents do not change directly because of this appointment.

• City staff in Planning, Building, and Housing

  • Reporting lines will change to the new Deputy City Manager.
  • Processes, technology, and coordination tools may be updated to speed reviews and increase accountability.

• Taxpayers

  • This is mainly an internal management change. It does not create a new tax or fee.
  • The position is funded from a City reserve fund. No salary or total cost figure is provided.

Expenses#

The bill may increase administrative costs due to a new senior leadership position, but no estimate is available.

• Funding for the Deputy City Manager position will come from the Development Application Review Reserve Fund (XR1307).
• The report does not provide the salary, benefits, or total ongoing costs.
• Possible one-time costs for organizational changes (such as process or technology updates) are not detailed.
• No savings estimates are provided.

Proponents' View#

• The change appears intended to speed up development approvals and get more housing built, including affordable units, by centralizing accountability.
• Bringing City Planning, Toronto Building, the Housing Secretariat, and a dedicated Development Review Division under one leader could improve coordination and reduce delays.
• Clear leadership may help the City meet provincial decision timelines (which now carry fee-refund risks if missed), adding discipline and focus to the review process.
• A single executive lead could make processes more transparent while keeping planning quality and outcomes strong.
• The role is framed as supporting resilient, climate-smart growth aligned with City priorities.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is added management cost; the report does not disclose the salary or total financial impact.
• Reorganizing multiple divisions under new leadership could cause short-term disruption before improvements are realized.
• The report does not set measurable targets (for example, specific timeline reductions or housing unit outcomes), making it hard to judge success.
• It is unclear how this role will interact with other Deputy City Managers and where decision-making authority begins and ends.
• The use of a reserve fund covers the position for now, but the long-term funding approach is not explained.