Essa ponders leaving NVCA
by Richard Blanchard

Essa township is looking into leaving the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.

Council asked staff to see if provincial legislation municipalities to belong to the local conservation authority.

Essa deputy mayor Terry Dowdall raised the issue after the recent passing of the 2007 budget which brought in an average increase of nine percent.

"About four-fifths of the members of the NVCA voted in favour of the increases but our township representatives weren't in favour of the increased expenditure. Is there anything that we can do about it?"" he asked.

In 2005, Essa asked other member municipalities of the NVCA to withhold their payments to the authority because of a similar tax increase but were told that they were unable to do this.

Staff will report back to council about its request.