The resignation of Wellington North’s Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) representative has council here pondering its next step.
SVCA representative Mark MacKenzie announced in an email to council on Monday evening that he is resigning from the board. MacKenzie represents Wellington North and the Town of Minto on the SVCA board. His announcement also sparked discussion at Minto council last week.
“Under the current voting structure your municipality does not receive proper representation, as conflicting voting nullifies your views,” MacKenzie wrote in his letter of resignation.
“At times it is a waste of my time and efforts under this format. I believe each watershed municipality needs to have their own representative.
“The SVCA is a [necessary] part of our lives and community development and are struggling to meet their mandate due to financial restraints,” MacKenzie added, acknowledging the authority has come under tight budget restraints due to cutbacks in funding from the province.
Wellington North councillor Dan Yake said the resignation gives council an opportunity to voice its discontent with the way the SVCA passes its budget each year. Yake has consistently objected to budget increases that eventually are passed by the SVCA despite the objections.
During 2012 budget deliberations, council objected to a proposed $4,200 increase (4 per cent) that brought Wellington North’s SVCA levy to $54,580. The SVCA board in mid-February proposed a combined 15% levy increase of $123,639 paid by its 15 member municipalities – for a total of $1,497,081. The budget and its increases was eventually passed by the board.
Minto council, at the time, did not object to the increase, but it was mentioned at the last council meeting. The situation, Minto chief administrative officer Bill White said, put the representative in a difficult position representing two different views from two municipalities.
Wellington North councillor
Dan Yake said the resignation gives council an opportunity state its views known on SVCA budget approvals.
“This is a good time to address that,” Yake said. “We know what our views are on their budget. We’re talking to a wall.”
At Minto, White said if the two municipalities want separate representation a request will have to be made to the SVCA board for it to consider a change in the way the board is comprised.
In the past, one municipality has usually put forward the name of a representative, which has then been agreed to by the other municipality.
Wellington North is expected to bring its concerns to the attention of Minto officials.
The township also wants to hear directly from MacKenzie about his concerns and would like to meet with SVCA officials to talk about possible options in representation.
