In a story that is played out in countless municipalities across the province at this time of year, Mapleton councillors last week lamented the ever-increasing annual levies imposed by conservation authorities.
This year, it will pay $79,251 to two authorities in whose watershed the township lies – 95% in the Grand River watershed and 5% in the Maitland Valley watershed.
“It’s significant,” finance director Mike Givens said of the increases in 2009.
Mapleton will pay $72,458 to the GRCA, up 5.1% over last year; and $6,793 to the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), up 8.3%.
Mayor John Green said there is much disappointment with such levy increases across Ontario.
“But we can’t do anything about it, can we?” asked councillor Mike Downey.
Councillor Dennis Craven replied, “Not very much,” unless the township lobbies the province to intervene.
Green said no authority has offered levy increases at the rate of inflation in recent memory, but there is an issue with provincial funding.
Councillor Bruce Whale said the only way to affect the vote on the MVCA budget would be to lobby Minto and Wellington North, get a consensus, and have their representative – John Cox – vote against large annual increases.
But, he said, noted one representative alone likely would not make much of a difference.
Council unanimously passed resolutions accepting the budgets from the MVCA and GRCA.
