The board of directors with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) have approved its budget for 2025.
As part of ERCA’s most recent board meeting, the board of directors voted that the 2025 draft budget totalling $12,215,958 be approved as the 2025
final budget and that the board approve the municipal cost apportionment of $3,053,491, for mandatory programs and services (+2.8%, $82,403).
Further, the board of directors approve the municipal cost apportionment of$327,262, restricted to the seven unanimously supported Category 3 non-mandatory programs and services (3.2%, $10,000).
The ERCA board of directors accept the 2025 voluntary municipal contributions of $184,221 to the Category 3 Land Acquisition & Securement fund, and any additional voluntary contributions if directed by any nonparticipating member municipality, and included in its revised agreement with ERCA.
Budget highlights for the year that ERCA is pointing out include initiating management plans for the new Collavino Conservation Area in Amherstburg and the CASO Greenway trail, planting at least 50,000 trees and creating two new wetlands to improve habitat and biodiversity.
Water quality monitoring will continue at greenhouse-influenced streams and a region-wide nutrient reduction program will be implemented, ERCA stated in a news release. Restoration of the historic horse barn at the John R. Park Homestead is anticipated, and the grand re-opening of the restored museum will be celebrated. A joint labour-management team will be engaged in a pay equity compliance review and the cloud migration of various information systems and data repositories will be completed early in the year, the conservation authority stated.
“The budget also reflects significant multi-year capital and water quality projects,” said ERCA CAO Tim Byrne. “Grants exceeding $15 million over four years will fund the Hillman Marsh coastal erosion and restoration project, two Detroit River erosion and wetland protection and creation projects, Kingsville-Leamington nutrient research study and region-wide water quality improvement incentives to rural landowners.”
ERCA’s press release further stated that historically, “the local investment of municipal cost apportionment and municipal special project funding has been matched dollar for dollar and significantly exceeded for some programs. Between 2018 and 2024, the Authority received municipal funds of $12.4 million for programs and projects that are categorized as non-mandatory under the Act. During that time, additional non-municipal funds of nearly $15 million were secured to support those very same initiatives.”
A recent report to the ERCA board outlining the 20-year investment in the Clean Water/Green Spaces initiative has highlighted that since 2003, municipalities have contributed $14.8 million to finance the protection of vulnerable lands of ecological importance; the restoration of habitat and green spaces; and the improvement of water quality in the region. ERCA further stated that “over the two decades of this program, significant environmental progress has been made, and ERCA obtained an additional $15.2 million dollars in external funding, primarily from the Federal and Provincial Governments along with grants from non-governmental agencies (NGOs) and the Essex Region Conservation Foundation.”
“As an integrated watershed management agency, ERCA’s service delivery areas have developed over decades, and include beneficial programs and services that support our collective goals related to ecological, social, and economic health,” added Byrne. “While the province has identified the core services it deems mandatory, ERCA has secured agreements with each of its nine member municipalities to ensure the suite of Category 3 non-mandatory services it offers to achieve a future of environmental sustainability, will continue to be delivered.” Some examples of these non-mandatory services include tree planting and restoration on non-conservation authority owned lands, education and outreach programs, museum operations at the John R. Park Homestead and water quality monitoring and reporting.
The total cost apportionment toward creating a future of environmental sustainability will increase only 30 cents per household, to $21.21, based on a home assessed at $300,000.
For those municipalities that have demonstrated leadership in signing Cost Apportioning Agreements that include a voluntary contribution to a land securement and protection fund, the total cost apportionment is $24.35.
Byrne pointed out at the meeting he was before the majority of municipal councils in the region speaking on the draft budget. The budget presentation to Amherstburg town council was Jan. 27.
Byrne praised ERCA’s chief financial officer (CFO)/director of finance and corporate services Shelley McMullen for her work on the budget, calling the 2.8 per cent figure “quite a feat.”
While Amherstburg had already agreed to fund its share of the non-mandatory Clean Water-Green Spaces initiative, other municipalities weren’t as quick to jump on board. After going around the region, Byrne reported progress in that regard with other Essex County municipalities.
“All municipalities in one way or another are contributing to non-mandatory Clean Water/Green Spaces,” he said.
Though ERCA’s budget votes is weighted based on cost apportionment and size of municipality, the board of directors voted unanimously during the meeting to approve this year’s budget.
ERCA board of directors approves its 2025 final budget
By Ron Giofu
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