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The Lucknow Sentinel, 2014-03-26, Page 22 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday March 26, 2014 Schenk named to run for Huron -Bruce Liberals in next provincial election Patrick Bales QM! Agency The provincial Liberal Party wants the red flag to raise over rural Ontario once again, and Colleen Schenk thinks she's the candidate who can help make that happen. Schenk was nominated as the candidate for Huron - Bruce in the yet -to -be announced next provincial election. A trustee for nearly 20 years with the Avon Mait- land District School Board, Schenk history of support- ing the Liberal Party was described, going back as far as 1968, as campaigning with her father for Pierre Trudeau. Schenk said after being named the candidate, defeating North Huron reeve Neil Vincent in a vote held Wednesday night at the Luc - know Community Centre, that she was ready for the challenge. And in Huron - Bruce, as in most of rural Ontario, the Liberals face a substantial challenge. The Green Energy Act is just one of the policies brought about during the Liberal's reign in Ontario that has created an aura of alienation felt by many in rural Ontario. Schenk said she has already begun criti- cal communication with wind turbine groups in the riding in an effort to win back their support. "We need to sit down again; now that I'm the suc- cessful candidate, we'll have talks," she said. "I believe in negotiations. We can sit down and talk to those folks. "Some small steps have been taking, with the tur- bine issue being down- loaded to the municipalities for decisions," she contin- ued. "However, we need to talk more. We need to maybe look at some things a little bit different' Through her previous roles in public service, she's seen the divide between urban and rural interests first hand. However, because of that experience, she feels she is the candidate who can serve the constituents the best, while making sure their concerns are being heard by the premier. "When I served as -TOWN-LIP EFF 4ITCLIP -1.0thrACISI THE TOWNSHIP OF ASHFIELD-COLBORNE-WAWANOSH NOTICE OF THE 2014 PROPOSED BUDGET AND NOTICE TO AMEND THE FEES & CHARGES Take notice that pursuant to the Ontario Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, Chapter c.25, and the Township of Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh By -Law 03-2003, the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh shall give notice of its intent to consider the 2014 Budget and its intent to consider the amendment of various fees and charges. The Council of the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh at its meeting to be held on April 15, 2014 at 8:00 pm in the Council Chambers at the Township of Ashfield-Colborne- Wawanosh Municipal Building, propose to consider the 2014 Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Budget and consider the amendment of various fees and charges. Anyone may attend the meeting outlined above. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Municipal Office at 519-524-4669 or visiting our website at www.acwtownship.ca Mark Becker, Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer March 11,2014 president of the Ontario Public School Boards Asso- ciation, the rural boards were very different from the boards that were in the urban areas," she explained. "(Rural Ontario needs) to be heard. We do not have a voice right now. It was deci- mated with the elections last time. So let's hope we can bring rural voices back, so someone can stand up in the legislature and say 'look, we're here." Schenk was critical of the Ontario Progressive Con- servative Party and slammed the white papers it has been releasing throughout the past two years."The white papers would decimate our province," she said during her campaign speech. After the meeting, she focussed her concerns, first with education, saying the PC proposal "would take education systems back to the Mike Harris era." She also added the white paper surrounding labour and unions would be detri- mental to the many union employees who populate Huron -Bruce. The New Democratic Party wasn't excluded from Schenk's criticism, but not for the policies they've set out since the previous elec- tion. Rather, Schenk noted it is the things the NDP hasn't said, the lack of platforms or alternatives, that speaks the loudest. Schenk was encouraged by the number of supporters who had turned up at the vote, in which 106 ballots were cast, adding she was to "hit the ground running," getting ready for an election that members of the PC Submitted Colleen Schenk is the Liberal candidate in the provincial riding of Huron -Bruce for the next election, which incumbent PC MPP Lisa Thompson hinted could be called by June 2014. party are predicting will happen in June. In the 2011 election, incumbent Liberal MPP Carol Mitchell was swept from office from PC candi- date Lisa Thompson, who serves the riding today. This is not Schenk's first attempt at political office in Huron -Bruce. She ran unsuccessfully as a Progres- sive Conservative candidate in the 1997 federal election. Township wants to see increase in wind turbine assessment value Steve Goetz Kincardine News Huron -Kinloss council wants the province to raise the assessment value of industrial wind turbines. At the council meeting on Mar. 17, the township endorsed a letter sent by the Multi -Municipal Wind Turbine Group to the Ontario finance minister calling to increase the base assessment value of $40,000 per installed turbine. "The generally recog- nized cost of the foundation and tower for a 1.5 -mega- watt wind turbine is $800,000. The base cost assessment should more closely reflect this reality." The letter says that pro- vincial regulations keep the assessed value of turbines 11111.11:11.1111 Shiulurde Mite:Huy Ikeu Juruut, )3it1Er Ift YE'ronicdREilk age] 730 Nightly Im ddosk.01-BOD-265-3438 artificially low, limiting the funds municipalities can collect in property taxes and giving industrial wind turbine operators the finan- cial resources to offer "strings attached" vibrancy funds. "These [vibrancy funds] come with many strings attached and put the devel- oper in a control position. The most recent draft [agreements] that we have seen indicate that develop- ers plan to adjust the [funds available] if their tax costs increase," the letter says. "The Green Energy Act and this artificially -low tax base assessment have jeop- ardized the ability of a municipality to raise prop- erty taxes -to conduct its business. The annual allo- cation of Ontario funding to each municipality is decreasing. A fairer tax -rev- enue -generation process is needed to off -set this shortfall." "We look forward to your working with us to facilitate this change in a predictable manner so that municipali- ties will not be dependent on vibrancy funds in lieu of proper industrial taxes." Coun. Don Murray spoke in favour of the position. "It would make a big differ- ence to the municipality if we were able to tax on $800,000 rather than the $40,000 we can now," he said. Council passed a resolu- tion to support the working group's position and for- ward it to the Ontario finance minister, the Asso- ciation of Municipalities of Ontario and Huron -Bruce MP Ben Lobband MPP Lisa Thompson. Council also approved increasing an administra- tive fee paid to the working group to $700 from $500 to help cover the costs of a closed meeting investiga- tor; a report from the inves- tigation showed the group was not sticking to its man- date and recommended greater transparency as it conducts its business.