ERCA $12M draft budget includes 35% increase to fund region projects

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Essex Region Conservation Authority board members are proposing a 2025 draft budget that totals $12 million in spending, up from $8.9 million in 2024.

The proposed 35 per cent increase, which works out to be $3.1 million, in this year’s budget comes largely from federal and provincial grants.

ERCA has an agreement with municipalities for them to contribute to the budget each year. The 2025 draft budget proposes a municipal contribution of $3.5 million, a 2.8 per cent increase or $82,403, to fulfil the authority’s mandated obligations.

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Each municipality contributes funds based on an apportioned assessment.

“The normal operations of the conservation historically have been anywhere … from $6-$8 million,” ERCA chief administrative officer Tim Byrne told the Star.  “The difference is straight grant money from the federal government that has no cost to the municipalities.”

A report prepared for the board of directors said the budget would be funded with $3.5 million from municipal contributions, about $7.9 million in non-municipal sources, $223,000 from revenues the previous year, and about $587,000 in transfers from reserves.

The authority’s watershed stewardship efforts are among the regional projects that would benefit from the funding.  It will be used to help facilitate work with rural landowners, farmers and residents to address water quality in hazard-prone areas across the region.

According to the report, the grant money would also help fund the Hillman Marsh coastal erosion and restoration project, two Detroit River erosion and wetland protection/creation projects, and a nutrient research study in Kingsville and Leamington.

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“There’s a lot of action and a lot of activity,” Byrne said. “We’re very fortunate that we’re getting senior levels of funding and that we have local levels supporting those undertakings.”

A voluntary municipal contribution of $327,262 is also recommended to maintain other core watershed programs. That works out to be an increase of 3.2 per cent or $10,000 from the previous year’s budget.

The current value assessment in the authority’s jurisdiction has increased 1.37 per cent, so the total cost apportionment will increase to 30 cents per household for a total $21.21, based on an assessed value of $300,000.

Several municipalities have signed cost apportioning agreements that include a voluntary contribution to a land securement and protection fund, which results in an additional $3.14 per household, bringing the total cost to $24.35.

“The budget focuses on the existing levy and the existing contribution agreements,” Byrne said. “Any change or movement with respect to some of the non-mandatory programs that weren’t fully supported, those could evolve, but that’ll have no effect on the budget that’s being considered by member municipalities at the moment.”

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Also on this year’s agenda is ongoing repair and replacement of infrastructure – bridges, culverts, and trail surfaces – along the Chrysler Greenway trail. 

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The authority’s mandatory program expenses for 2025 are approximately $5.3 million. Non-mandatory expenses of $5.5 million are also included in the $12-million draft budget.

“The budget is out for review,” Byrne said. “We’ve already had a couple of municipalities get back to us, unofficially, saying they’re fully supporting it.

“We look forward to working with our watershed member municipalities on another successful year.

The draft budget also includes negotiated changes to 2025 wages and benefits in the collective agreement with CUPE Local 3784.

ERCA’s board of directors approved the 2025 draft budget for circulation at the regular meeting on Dec. 12, 2024.

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