The General Manager of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority says its member municipalities have reviewed the Authority's proposed budget and it was approved by the board at its last meeting.
Brian Horner says the proposed budget was sent out to the municipalities in October.
"Back in October the board sent out to the member municipalities a budget and the overall project and general levy decreased by about .56 per cent. Some municipalities had a slight increase, other showed a decrease, but overall it was a decrease and it's really a reduction of about 75-hundred bucks."
Horner says staff recognized that these are difficult times for most municipalities.
"We understand the times that we're in and we realized, you know, when we went to work in the budget, we realized our member municipalities might feel a crunch next year, in 2021, so it came back with a decrease."
For the last few years the member municipalities have asked that any increase be capped at two per cent and the Authority has met that target. But Horner says they expect this year will be a difficult one and they try to work with their partners when they can.