Municipal governments are accustomed to having little to no input on conservation authority levies, but at least one Erin councillor has hinted the CVC may be pushing its luck in asking for an additional $15,000 this year.
“I just can’t see us being able to do this,” councillor John Brennan said on Jan. 12.
He told Credit Valley Conservation officials a 10% increase in the town’s regular 2010 levy – up from $52,487 to $57,735 – is bad enough without the “optional” $15,000 levy request.
Mike Puddister, Director Restoration and Stewardship, explained the CVC is starting to see “a lot of positive results” from its ongoing work in Erin and assured council the $15,000 will be put to good use.
“The money is for Erin; it’s not going to be spent anywhere else,” Puddister said.
He acknowledged the CVC is “very constrained” in what services it can provide in Erin and added the town will lose a significant opportunity if the authority can’t continue its positive programs in the town.
“An incredible amount of good work has taken place in Erin over the last year,” noted Puddister. He cited the following programs:
– the West Credit Appreciation, Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (WeCare);
– Conservation Youth Corps crews from Erin District High School (three planting events involving 70 students in 2009);
– the Stream of Dreams program, in which over 1,000 Erin public school students have participated since 2007; and
– landowner workshops.
CVC Director of Corporate Services Gerry Robin said an Advertiser story last month stating the CVC had a surplus in 2009 was incorrect – the authority actually had a deficit.
Robin told council the CVC did manage to achieve an overall levy increase of 6% for 2010, but because Erin’s assessment rose more than any other member municipality’s, so too did its annual levy.
Yet Brennan explained that between 2009 and 2020 the town’s annual levy is projected to increase 124% or an average of 11.3% per year.
“That’s just not sustainable,” he said. At that rate, despite all the CVC’s good work, he fears the town might be forced to say it simply can’t afford the levy.
“That would be a disaster for everybody,” said Brennan.
Robin cautioned that the CVC’s 10-year forecast is likely to change, and the figures included therein are estimates only. He said pending development in Peel Region will likely increase assessment there in future years, which should mean smaller annual levy increases for Erin.
Finnie said council would consider the CVC levy requests during budget deliberations.
