www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday November 7, 2007 - 5 Conservation Halton asks for more cash By Melanie Hennessey OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Conservation Halton (CH) will once again be asking Halton Region to dig a little deeper and come up with extra money to cover its budget -- to the tune of about 12 per cent more in 2008 over 2007. The preliminary budget for the conservation authority -- which was perused by the board of directors at its recent meeting -- calls for $5 million in municipal funding from the Region next year, which is about half a million more than last year. "The main reason (for the increase) is the continued need for more staffing," said CH Director of Financial and Administrative Services Marnie Piggot, noting that the new staff included in the 2008 budget is expected to cost $480,000. CH chair Brian Penman said with the kind of growth being experienced in the area, CH has significant staffing needs to keep up with things like reviewing subdivision plans. Piggot added that the watershed's aging infrastructure also puts pressure on the budget. Overall, CH is asking its supporting municipalities -- which includes Halton and to a much smaller degree Peel, Hamilton and Puslinch -- for $5.5 million. The figure is up from $4.9 million last year. The requests will have to be considered by the respective municipal councils during their budget deliberations. Penman said CH's funding partners have recognized that the agency has been "historically underfunded" -- a problem that dates back to 1996 when the Province cut conservation authorities' funding in half. "We're trying to recoup," he noted. CH staff is projecting an overall budget of $18.6 million for 2008 -- almost $2 million more than the total anticipated expenses for 2007. Besides municipal funds, a large chunk of the budget will be covered by user fees. On a positive budget note, staff is expecting to see a surplus in the 2007 parks operating budget (excluding Glen Eden) of almost $250,000 -- good news that's attributed to the favourable weather conditions this past spring and summer bringing out plenty of visitors. "We had originally budgeted a deficit," Piggot noted. "It goes to show how much a good season with the weather can affect us." Piggot said the extra funds will likely go into a capital project reserve fund. "We've really got to build up our reserves to deal with future infrastructure needs," she said Mother Nature wasn't as kind to Glen Eden Ski and Snowboard Centre during the 2006/2007 season though, which saw a $1.1 million shortfall in expected revenues. Piggot pointed out that the ski centre's expenses were down as well for the season, helping offset the lower revenues. She said it's too early to predict how the 2007/2008 season will shape up for the centre. CH's 2008 funding request for the Region will go before the municipality's committees and council in December. www.oakvillebeaver.com YEAR END CLEARANCE EVENT Top 3 Reasons To Buy Your New Ford From KENNEDY FORD SALES # $1250 HOLIDAY BONUS 1 CASH BACK INCENTIVES # 2 # 1% GST REBATE 3 up to $7000 off a Brand New Vehicle Yes that is right, you don't have to wait until January 1, 2008 in the Studio Theatre at Oakville Trafalgar High School 1460 Devon Road (Maple Grove and Devon) BUY WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOURS BUILD Join us for future OTHS Council events: · Strategies for Raising Resilient and Family Friendly Teens Mary Tabak (Public Health Nurse, Halton Region Health Department) Thursday, January 24, 2008 · Stress Management for Teens and Their Families Dr. David Posen (MD, author, speaker) Thursday April 3, 2008 KENNEDY FORD 905.845.1646 ext. 141 280 SOUTH SERVICE RD. W. OAKVILLE