The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority is not getting a lot of support from Georgian Bluffs Council.
CAO John Cottrill was a guest at Wednesday’s Council meeting and presented the conservation authority’s budget for 2010.
It calls for Georgian Bluffs to pay a levy of almost 125 thousand dollars — that’s 6.43 per cent higher than last year.
Cottrill explains the increase is based on the township’s assessment, which is also up 6.43 per cent.
Cottrill also says the conservation authority has certain cost increases over which it has no control — such as wages.
And he notes the amount budgeted for capital expenditures is down.
Georgian Bluffs Council didn’t take the news well — particularly the fact that the 6.43 per cent increase is actually a discounted figure that will go up if Georgian Bluffs does not pay up by April 30th.
Cottrill says the reason for this deadline is because many of the conservation authority’s expenses occur in the first half of each year.
He says if they have the money early — they do not have to borrow funds.
Mayor Alan Barfoot says council will not accept the conservation authority’s figure when it meets next week for its own budget deliberations.
He says they want the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority to reconsider its figures.