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Previously, the provincial governâ€" ment had announced it will end the land tax rebate for conservation authorities, as part of general spendâ€" ing cutbacks at Queen‘s Park. Under the rebate, the HRCA got $162,750 last year for its assessed property taxes. So the reinstated $102,500 is "approximately 70% of what we had," Stephen said. Stephen had been facing approxiâ€" mately $400,000 in cutbacks to his $7.3â€"million annual budget. In addiâ€" tion to the $162,750 in property taxes the authority was slated to pay, the HRCA will see an expected $241,000 axed from provincial Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) funding due to Ontario‘s expenditure control plan. By ROB KELLY Special to the Beaver A partial funding reprieve from the provincial government means that the Halton Region ‘Conservation Authority (HRCA), "instead of being executed with one shot of electricity, will get 10,000 little pinches said HRCA general manager, Murray Stephen, this week. The authority is also at odds with Halton Region. Halton wants to cut $43,000 from the $1.9â€"million it channels into the HRCA annually. Last week, the full authority board voted to oppose any such move, but the four regional councillors who are also HRCA directors â€" Milton Mayor Gord Krantz, Oakville‘s Keith Bird, Burlington‘s Ralph Scholtens, and Halton Hills® Pam Johnston â€" backed Halton. Stephen got news last week that the authority will obtain $102,200 from the provincial government to help pay the property taxes on approximately 5,000 acres of HRCA lands in 1993. Stephen said Halton hopes to backtrack on the sum it has already pledged to the HRCA for 1993. "The Region is asking the authority to absorb a portion of the grants lost to the Region. The conservation authoriâ€" ty said no. We‘ve already been impacted by a loss of $241,000 in MNR grants." Conservation Authority gets tax break In addition to the skirmishing over these issues, Stephen faces another unknown; the impact of social conâ€" tract provincial clawbacks on HRCA operations. While the expenditure control plan cuts can come from capiâ€" tal projects as well as operating budâ€" gets, social contract trimming is designed to affect government employees only, by paring payrolls. Stephen is uncertain about what changes the HRCA will have to make when the social contract is more clearly spelled out as it relates to conâ€" servation authorities. The ambiguity lies in whether authorities are treated like municipal governments or provincial ministries when the axe falls, he indicated. The authority will "be looking at" unpaid days off and possibly layoffs when the social contract details come into sharper focus, Stephen noted. The HRCA still faces $300,000 in cutbacks through less MNR funding and the missing 30 or so per cent of property tax rebates. Stephen is also acutely conscious of the fact that even the recently announced $102,200 "reprieve" is but "a stopgap measure. It only addréssed the situation for 1993." Stephen is part of a committee comprising conservation authority representatives and MNR staff that is attempting to explore alternative soluâ€" tions. Stephen feels it‘s unfair to have conservation authority lands assessed for taxation at the same levels as resiâ€" dential property, since the land is often dormant and has little chance of ever moving into residential developâ€" ment. Not only is that residential desigâ€" nation unfair, but the provincial Ministry of Revenue "keeps updating Quality Leather Sofas Quality Country Sofa/Loveseat (many others) Solid Wood Harvest Table 4 Chairs Examples Solid Cherry 9â€"Pce. Queen Anne D.R./Suite Solid Oak 9â€"Pce. 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