Representatives from the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority visited Meaford Council on Monday January 23 to present their draft budget for 2012.

GSCA Chair Dick Hibma and CAO John Cotrill told council that Meaford's annual levy would jump from $141,413 in 2011 to $153,954 in 2012, an increase of nearly 9 percent.

While members of council were pleased with the budget in general, they along with Meaford's Treasurer David Kennedy are confused about the larger than expected increase, especially given that communities like the Town of the Blue Mountains will experience a levy increase of just 2 percent in 2012.

It required some eleventh hour tweaking, but on Monday night (January 23) Meaford's council approved the budget for 2012.

As approved by council in November, the blended rate property tax increase will be the full five percent allowed under the five-year plan that was adopted by the previous council in 2009.