The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority is approving a 1.7% levy increase in its 2015 budget.
The increase brings in $175,000 more than the $10.25-million collected last year from the city and the seven county municipalities. One of the main drivers of the levy jump is covering consumer price index increases.
"Our hands are very tied as to the extra amount of revenue that we can get," says Michelle Bishop, manager of finance for the EWSWA. "Everything remaining the same, as soon as that CPI increase comes into effect, we have to pay that to the contractor and many of our contracts have that."
Bishop adds paying the mortgage on the landfill, set to be paid off in 2031, is also a major cost for the authority at $153,560 for the 2015 budget.
The authority is using its rate stabilization reserve to cover the $672,350 deficit in the 2015 budget. The reserve is reported as having a balance of $10.9-million at the end of 2014.
The approved 2015 budget now goes to Windsor and Essex County councils for final approval.
