• Stouffville launched its Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) on May 8 this year.
  • The new system enables the Town to process by-law infractions more efficiently, bypassing Ontario’s backlogged courts.
  • In the first six months of the AMPS program, 2,052 Penalty Notices were issued.
  • Recipients of Penalty Notices can dispute their tickets by requesting a review from a Screening Officer.
  • Of the Notices issued, 472, or 23%, went through the screening process, resulting in 148 cancellations and 110 penalty reductions.
  • Current by-laws enforced under the AMPS system include parking, fire lane, noise, and short-term rental infractions.

 

Previously, by-law enforcement was conducted under the Provincial Offences Act through the Provincial Court system, a “cumbersome” model, as described by a Staff report scheduled for Council review next week.

“By-law infractions were considered less important than moving violations, bail, or other more serious offences,” Staff detailed. “The courts delayed trials for less-serious by-law infraction matters, which resulted in delays of over 1.5 years.”

To address this issue, the Province updated legislation to allow municipalities to implement AMPS. Without the need for trial hearings, Stouffville can now process applicable by-law infractions internally in just 4–8 weeks.

“The program is proving to be extremely successful by reducing the Penalty completion times…and further providing a significant reduction in Penalty cancellations that would otherwise occur under the former court-based trial model,” the report notes, adding that the system has also introduced cost reductions.

AMPS provides residents a two-tiered resolution system to challenge Penalty Notices. Tickets can be appealed to a Screening Officer, who reviews evidence to decide whether to affirm, reduce, or cancel the penalty.

“As required by legislation, Screening Reviews are conducted impartially and without political or other interference so that the review of circumstances of an enforcement event can be undertaken with an independent lens,” the Staff report states.

Since AMPS began, the Town has issued 2,052 Penalty Notices: 1,825 were parking related, 181 for fire route offences, 36 for illegal short-term rentals, and 10 for Noise By-Law violations.

Of these 2,052 cases, 472, or 23%, were screened, leading to 248 (7.2%) cancellations and 110 (4.7%) penalty reductions. The process has resulted in an 88% overall affirmation rate for Penalty Notices under AMPS.

If a Penalty recipient is unsatisfied with the screening outcome, they can escalate their appeal to an independent Hearing Officer in Newmarket for final adjudication. To date, only 25 disputes (0.01%) have been elevated to a Hearing Officer.

Stouffville expects Screening and Hearing Officer appeals to decrease “as the program matures and disputants become more educated with this modern approach,” the report explains.

The Town has not yet disclosed financial outcomes from AMPS, hoping for revenue-neutral operations in its first year. “This is due in part to the fact that Staff wish to examine a full year of enforcement and dispute activity, as seasonal changes impact both enforcement and disputes,” they said.

Staff noted that start-up costs, projected revenues, and resource requirements will be included in their 2025 budget submission. Additional by-laws will also be moved under the AMPS program early next year, including the Animal Services, Fireworks, and Signage By-Laws. Other by-laws will be considered for inclusion throughout 2025.

Detailed financial outcomes related to the AMPS program will be provided in a report to Council following a full year of operations.