The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority’s board of directors approved a draft budget at last week's board meeting.
“Yesterday they approved to send it out to the municipalities for review. Right now it's a little less than 2.5 per cent proposed increase. We had a budget meeting the week prior and it was a little under four per cent so they directed us to decrease it a bit, ” explained General Manager Brian Horner.
In the past few years, the final budget increase has been around 2 per cent and Horner says given the inflation that everyone is dealing with, 2.5 per cent is reasonable.
“This is just the draft budget they've approved to send out. They won't propose to approve it or vote on anything until we have [given] them thirty days," said Horner. "So that wouldn't be until at least our December board meeting.”
Horner says once the municipalities have looked at it, their board members can bring back suggestions to the board before there is a vote on it.