NVCA budget passed unanimously by Board of Directors

NVCA budget passed unanimously by Board of Directors

UTOPIA, Ontario (November 28, 2025) – Today, the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) Board of Directors unanimously passed the 2026 NVCA Draft Business Plan & Budget — the first time since 2021.

“I want to thank our Board of Directors and councils of all 18 municipalities for their clear direction and support for this budget and business plan,” said Jennifer Vincent, CAO of NVCA. “At $7.8 million, this budget reflects fiscal prudence—reducing discretionary charges by 31% and holding most lines flat while advancing efficiency and service modernization. This positions NVCA to deliver services that are responsive to the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the Nottawasaga Watershed.

Budgets for conservation authorities are categorized into three categories.

• Category 1 is mandatory municipal levy that goes towards reviewing development plans to avoid natural hazards. This funding also supports passive recreation and environmental restoration on NVCA lands.
• Category 2 are services delivered at the request of a municipality, with funding under agreement with the benefiting municipality.
• Category 3 are discretionary programs that go beyond mandatory and municipally requested services and include initiatives such as tree planting, environmental restoration, events and environmental education.

“We were able to gain support for all three budget categories from all member municipalities by being responsive to community needs,” said Jonathan Scott, NVCA Chair. “This budget is lean and efficient. We did that by reviewing the budget line-by-line and significantly reducing Category 3 costs. We’ve reduced our operating budget by $9,000 and held our levy to 2.8%, driven by the decrease in planning and permitting revenue with the decline in construction across the province.”

NVCA’s 2026 budget reflects a modest increase of $180,372.37, which includes a $101,307.36 increase in municipal levy shared proportionality across eighteen-member municipalities. It advances efficiency and service modernization, protects fair and competitive wages for staff, invests in responsible asset management, and prioritizes NVCA’s vital role in flood management and in supporting the resilience of our watershed.