Councillors okay with 1.6% CVC levy increase

John Brennan is pleased with this year’s 1.6% levy increase from the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) authority, but has called its projections for future levies “a little scary.”

The Erin councillor, who in the past has lambasted CVC officials for double-digit increases, stressed last week he is not “anti-CVC.”

He explained there is a serious funding problem at the provincial level, which leaves municipalities to face ever-increasing levies from conservation authorities.

Brennan said the board of the Grand River Conservation Authority, of which he is now a member, has formed a committee to lobby the province for better funding - and he asked CVC officials to follow suit.

The CVC’s restoration and stewardship director Mike Puddister and corporate services director Gerry Robin offered little comment on the suggestion. As for the CVC’s 10-year levy plan, Robin cautioned it is not final. For 2011, the town’s CVC levy is $58,668 - an increase of $933 or 1.6% over last year’s levy ($57,735). Robin noted CVC officials struggled to keep costs down, given the projects it had to complete this year, and Brennan praised that decision.

Councillors were less committal to an additional, “optional” levy of $15,000, which they rejected last year.

Puddister said there would be “a significant lost opportunity” if council does not approve the optional levy, which he explained helps fund projects within the municipality, including:

- the West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (WeCare);

- the Stream of Dreams program, in which over 1,000 Erin public school students have participated since 2007;

- landowner workshops;

- support of the local farming community; and

- stewardship of the headwaters area.

Puddister said Orangeville ($20,000) and Halton Hills ($40,000) approved their optional levies and the Erin levy works out to just $1.25 per person in the town.

Several councillors said  that might be, but Orangeville’s extra levy works out to less than a dollar per person (according to its own website, Orangeville’s population as of December 2010 was 28,305 - which is $0.71 per resident).

Mayor Lou Maieron said the CVC request for the optional levy would be considered during ongoing budget discussions.