The Town of The Blue Mountains will not be spending big money in 2024 to create an urban canopy division for the community.
At its committee of the whole budget meeting on Jan. 8, council decided that the price tag for the proposed canopy division was much too high. Last year, council had requested that staff bring to the budget process a report about the costs of creating a new town division that would be tasked with the protection and preservation of town-owned trees in urban areas of the community.
At the budget meeting, CAO Shawn Everitt reported that cost would be $618,600 for the new division, which included the addition of two staff positions to the organization. That cost amounted to a 3.16 per cent tax increase on its own and – already facing a potential 9.58 per cent increase in the draft budget – council was reluctant to proceed.
“It seems like a fairly large number to digest,” said Coun. Alex Maxwell.
Coun. Gail Ardiel said she couldn’t support such a project with the town having many other needs.
“I definitely can’t support this. That’s definitely a big chunk to chew,” she said. “We have a lot of hard infrastructure that needs funding.”
Council voted unanimously to defer the urban canopy division to the 2025 budget discussions.
Mayor Andrea Matrosovs urged members of council to consider the investment value of creating a town division to manage and protect natural assets like trees.
“The price tag definitely stands out, but I’d like us to consider the investment on this,” she said, noting that the plan touches on three of the town’s 20 “bold actions” in its sustainability plan. “After decades of not looking after mature trees, we can’t just fix it overnight. It’s up to us that we’re making sustainable choices and not just quick fixes.”
Coun. June Porter said the report from staff was a great starting point for the town.
“The information is extremely useful. I think it gives us a target to work towards,” she said.
