NVCA wins out with Barrie, Innisfil boundary revisiom

Barrie, Innisfil boundary battle to save New Tecumseth money in 2010
New Tecumseth Free Press Online
When the fight between the City of Barrie’s desire to grab thousands of acres from Innisfil, and that Town’s efforts to resist them moved to the due diligence stage, one of the key discoveries was just how much deeper into Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority’s (NVCA) jursidiction they both were in than originally believed.
And this comes at the expense of the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority (LSCA), which as a result, is now set to lose the corresponding reduction in assessment, to the benefit of the NVCA.
“The need for the correction was revealed when (Ministry of Natural Resources Lands and Waters Branch) staff were analyzing potential changes in apportionment for these municipalities related to the proposed Barrie-Innisfil Boundary Adjustment Act, 2009 (Bill 196),” according to a report on the NVCA’s proposed 2010 budget tabled at last week’s NVCA board of directors meeting.
Watershed municipalities are levied by Conservation Authorities based on assessment multiplied by a formula that includes the amount of land that falls within the particular watershed.
Until now, Barrie was 72 per cent LSCA and 23 per cent NVCA. After the adjustment it is 29 per cent NVCA and 71 per cent LSCA. That will change again on January 1, 2010 when Bill 196 comes into effect to, 70 per cent LSCA and 30 per cent NVCA.
The changes in Innisfil were more pronounced with an “historical” breakdown of 72 per cent LSCA and 28 per cent NVCA. That’s now LSCA 58 per cent and 42 per cent NVCA. After Bill 196 it moves to 57 and 43 per cent respectively.
It’s a similar situation as to when neighbours, who never questioned the boundary line between them before, do a survey then discover their property lines weren’t where they always assumed them to be.
The implications for Barrie and Innisfil will be felt immediately as each will now absorb a higher corresponding share of the proposed three per cent average levy increase being requested from the NVCA. According to the draft budget, the NVCA has set planned expenditures at about $3.8 million and will need $1.8 million from taxation.
New Tecumseth’s share of the NVCA’s 2010 levy is projected to be $215,926, which is a 4.88 per cent reduction over 2009, a saving of $11,067 over the $226,994 paid in 2009. Nine other watershed municipalities will see their levy shares reduced in 2010 including Adjala-Tosorontio, by 4.6 per cent, and Essa, four per cent.
Percentage wise, Innisfil’s share will climb by 51 per cent to $114,731 or $38,905 more than 2009. Barrie’s NVCA levy will be $287,573 or $52,296 a 22 per cent increase over last year.