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He said the province‘s announceâ€" ment will mean reductions of $250,000 in operating grants and $162,000 in the authority‘s conservation landâ€"tax rebate. Stephen said news of the funding cuts came hard on the heels of a MNR announcement in April that funding levâ€" els for authorities would be maintained Stephen said the authority received no previous notification of the cuts, other than a "faxed" message from the Ministry of Natural Resources. he Halton Region Conservation I Authority is faced with having to cut more than $400,000 from its budget after receiving word of the provincial government‘s decision to trim $10.6 million in funding for conservaâ€" tion areas. "It‘s pretty devastating," said Murray Stephen, the authority‘s general managâ€" er, on Wednesday. Oakville Beaver Staff By SAL BOMMARITO HRCA reeling from $400,000 provincial cutback Elegant Austrian Comfort: DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE * 183 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST 845â€"8911 DOWNTOWN BURLINGTON * 389 BRANT STREET 639â€"6165 From Baumler at Garvey‘s "AVANTGARDE" An expression of advanced continental style. By Baumler, in doubleâ€"breasted Teal: no vent, and a fullâ€"fashioned, softer shoulder that breaks into a relaxed drape across the body. By Garvey‘s, the final touch: a perfectly fitted garment. Open Thursday Friday till 9 p.m. Stephen said the funding reductions won‘t impact on parks, because they operate on a "userâ€"pay" basis. Where the impacts will be felt, however, is in park programs such as tree planting and reforestation, water sampling and polluâ€" tion abatement. He said lack of provincial funding in those areas will result in program cuts "We‘re almost back to square one on the budget. It‘s an offâ€"loading of provinâ€" cial costs to the municipal tax base," he said. ‘"For a government which says it‘s interested in dialogue and communicaâ€" tion, I find this atrocious," he said The unexpected loss of provincial funding leaves the authority in a desperâ€" ate situation, Stephen said. The HRCA used that information to set this year‘s budget, which resulted in a 5.6% reduction over last year. He said the authorities were not consulted prior to the cuts being announced. at 1992 levels. A reduction in landâ€"tax grants â€" which applied to environmentally sensiâ€" tive areas within the authority‘s park system â€" could mean taxes on that propâ€" erty won‘t be paid to the municipalities, the costs will be passed on through highâ€" er levies to municipalities within the authority‘s watershed, or more staff will be laid off, Stephen said. Unfortunately, because the news comes so late in the authority‘s budget and staff layoffs. "Those are programs there‘s a costâ€" sharing on. We were to receive 50% of those costs. Whoever put together the analysis (at the provincial level) of why $10.6 million was conservation authoriâ€" ty surplus, I don‘t believe has an underâ€" standing for conservation authorities or has ever visited one," Stephen said. | ALL SEASON RADIALS | |___PERFORMANCE 60 _ | V Stephen said conservation authorities fought for 10 years to have the provinâ€" cial government introduce a conservaâ€" tion landâ€"tax rebate program. He said the program had only been in place since 1990. Stephen also said there‘s an "inequity" in funding reductions which the MNR and conservation authorities year, Stephen said the first two tax installments totalling $90,000 have already been paid to municipalities. That amount represents funding the authority was expecting to receive from the province. "I‘m sure (the municipalities) aren‘t going to right us cheque. That‘s what makes its so frustrating when we‘re well past oneâ€"third of the calendar year. It‘s so ludicrous, it‘s laughable," he said. Stephen said the authority‘s execuâ€" tive committee was notified of the fundâ€" ing reductions last week. He said the implications of the cuts will be disâ€" cussed at a full meeting of authority members on May 13th. On the one hand, conservation authorities are faced with a funding reduction of $10.6 million â€" which transâ€" lates into a 21% cut in funding â€" while the provincial government cut the MNR‘s budget by only 10%. I YIAVAG 4TA Further, he said the 21% reduction éf represents a 32% reduction for the HRCA, because its faced with reducing g its expenditures in the next eight months 4 of the year. He said the MNR was given <] ~ until next April to cut its budget by 10%. respectively are faced with.