Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-08-12, Page 88 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, August 12, 2015 An inaccurate comment by the Mayor angers council Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor Mayor Bernie MacLellan has acknowledged he made an incorrect statement to the media by stating taxes have increased 300 per cent in Huron East over the past decade. "The clarification that was given to me was the 300 per cent extra is what we are paying based on what we lost in the up -funding," said MacLellan. Despite of the mayor's admittance of error, Tucker - smith Coun. Ray Chartrand said his statement is "dam- aging to our community when the fact is our taxes for that period of time averaged 50 to 70 per cent." "Huron East is in good shape with businesses open- ing up and the numbers the Mayor gave everybody shows a damaging picture and it's not as bleak as it is;" Chartrand admitted. At the August 4 council meeting, two separate pieces of data were circulated by treasurer/finance manager, Paula Michiels. The first, out- lined individual taxes from 2003 to 2015, including all the yearly tax increases for each councilor, which could not be shown to the public. "Paula handed out a data sheet, when you add up all the tax increase over those 12 years some are low and some are high, but the aver- age went up 50 to 70 per cent in that period of time," said Chartrand in a strong tone. "Which is a far cry from 300 and 400 per cent that the Mayor stated in the article' The second report was cre- ated after council requested staff provide an additional cost analysis for various areas of service that the Huron East provides. The report ranked several different services per capita and per $1000 weighted assessment. The numbers were graded between 11 municipalities in Huron County and also West Perth. Huron East was ranked number one in social and family services and eighth in health services. "I think overall within Huron County East is doing very well," said Michiels, "We rank in the bottom three which is pretty good in my eyes:' CAO/clerk Brad Knight indicated that they had a pretty good idea of how much the tax increase would be based on their tax rates. "We were likely in the lower part of the county, which turned out we are," said Knight. "I think his (MacLellan) comments were a little premature and that's why we wanted to focus on that report Paula had, so we can understand what it said:' The report presented to council is a comparison of Huron East's cost compared to other municipalities, said MacLellan, which he con- firmed this with Michiels. He added "that is only half of a balanced sheet:' "That has nothing to do with how we pay for those costs, which really doesn't give us a good picture of how we treat our rate payers to other payers:' These are some of the rea- sons why MacLellan is push- ing for an external review for the services provided by municipality of Huron East, which has an estimated cost of approximately $50,000. "I don't know what else it's going to provide more than what we've already provided, other than an external per- spective on it. But it will be all the information that we pro- vide to them, said Michiels. "It is a lot of money and personally I don't know where that money would come from:' After looking over the budget of this year, Michiels is assured that there are not enough funds to pay for an external review. "I think if you want to get information other than what you've always been getting, you need a fresh set of eyes from time to time, it's not a bad thing," said MacLellan. "Anyplace that has ever hired an outside consultant has probably got information that they don't normally get." With incorrect statements and talks of external review within the council, this is something Knight said is making things "a little tense," around town hall. "I don't think we need to go through this gut - wrenching process every two weeks." Huron County OPP said crystal meth is becoming a drug of choice The illegal narcotic can be smoked, ff injected, snorted, or taken orally Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor Methamphetamines are believed to help German sol- diers in World War II remain awake. That was 70 years ago and Huron and Perth County OPP are now battling a war of their own, but it's against crystal meth. Last month Huron County OPP made several arrests connected to the highly addictive form of metham- phetamine. The stimulant GuniuN & SEAFORTH 2016 PHONE Pliny Seafa th IluroD (xpositor 8 519MAIN ST., SEAFOR240TH - 527-0 OR FAX US AT 519-527-2858 It's time again for the ever popular SEAFORTH & AREA PHONE BOOK IF YOU... • Moved • Changed Your Number • Have Your Number or Address Incorrectly Listed • Are New to Seaforth • Add Your Cell Phone ...PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE to arrange any changes necessary to ensure your Phone Book is up to date and correct! nformation on Advertising HONE BOOK CALL TODAY! crystal meth or what OPP call the "Texas Drug," is becoming more popular in Huron County. "Basically at this point we are finding people with drugs and narcotics, crystal meth and cannabis mari- juana are the two main play- ers right now," said Perth County OPP media relations officer Kees Wijnands, who is currently filling in for Huron County officer Jamie Stanley. Wijnands pointed out that Perth County had always been struggling with the use of the drug. In fact, at one time, the region was consid- ered the crystal meth capital of Ontario, Wijands said. "It has kind of made its way up here over time, it's pretty much across Canada and that's probably why we're seeing it heavily used in this area (Huron County)," said Wijnands. "We are now seeing it the same between Perth and Huron, it's a very common drug now:' The problem with crystal meth for police is that it's one of the least expensive drugs on the black market and users can stay high for a lengthy period of time. "It's awful what it does to a person and is extremely destructive for the body," said Wijnands. Shona Gray, drug coun- sellor and methampheta- mine specialist at Choices for Change, which is located in Perth and Huron, said the area has always seen a cer- tain amount of users. Huron County OPP are noticing that crystal meth is increasing in popularity for users in the area. "It's transferring county to county, it used to be Perth that had a higher level, but now it's in other places like Huron and Bruce that are seeing the higher levels," said Gray. "For a long time nobody wanted to be associated with it, now what's happening is people can make it in their own kitchen:' According to Canada's Department of Justice meth- amphetamines were listed under a Schedule III drug that conceded a lesser level of maximum penalties. As a result of increased alarm about methamphetamine use on persons and society, the federal Minister of Health moved methamphet- amine to Schedule I. Follow- ing this Schedule, the maxi- mum penalty for possession is seven years. Life imprison- ment could also be sought for trafficking the drug that is gaining mass popularity in Huron and the neighboring areas.