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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-04-16, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, April 16, 2015 Volume 31 No. 15 FESTIVAL - Pg. 18 Artistic Director Gil Garratt reveals cast MEETING - Pg. 7 Ombudsman finds Central Huron meeting was legal Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0 INSIDE THIS WEEK: Society disbands, new club may form Dancing the night away On Saturday night the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre was the place to be as a Youth Unlimited fundraiser attempted to raise money for the Brussels Youth Centre. The evening featured music, auctions, dinner and, of course, dancing. The fundraiser achieved its goal as well, raising over $7,000 for the centre and its various programs. Now, the group is looking ahead to hosting a bike rally and tour that will begin in Brussels. The ride is scheduled for mid-June. (Vicky Bremner photo) Huron East budget proposed with 11% increase Huron East Treasurer Paula Michiels has presented the municipality’s first draft of the budget with a proposed 11 per cent municipal levy increase. At Huron East Council’s April 7 meeting, Michiels told councillors that when the proposed municipal tax increase of 11 per cent is grouped with the established 2.3 per cent increase at the Huron County level and the one per cent increase in the school board levy, Huron East residents could be facing an overall tax increase of 5.4 per cent. Based on the average Huron East residential assessment, which in 2015 is $166,779, a 5.4 per cent tax levy increase will translate to an annual increase of between $138 and $215, depending on the ward. This comes in a year where local assessment jumped drastically – the average Huron East assessment last year was nearly $15,000 lower than it is this year at $153,393. While the figures are still preliminary, Seaforth would see the highest increase of $215 on an average household assessment, followed by Brussels at $211, Tuckersmith at $146, Grey at $141 and McKillop at $138. Michiels also reminded council that the 2014 carry-forward surplus/deficit has yet to be completed. The budget process has been complicated by late-arriving department budgets, she said, and a personal leave she was forced to take earlier this year. One member of council, Deputy- Mayor Joe Steffler, however, felt the budget was sound and put forward a motion to pass it as presented at council’s April 21 meeting. Few councillors could disagree with Steffler, with Councillor David Blaney admitting that Michiels’ first draft of the budget was “tight” and that he saw very little he could consider trimming from it. This budget comes after the municipality received word that it would lose another $454,000 in Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) money and would face a 7.3 per cent increase, representing an increase of $82,652, in policing costs. On the other side, however, Huron East received $113,350 in Ontario Community Infrastructure Funding, as well as an additional $177,425 from the same fund to specifically be used for the replacement of two bridge structures within the municipality. Michiels told councillors that she and the rest of the staff had to cut $1 million from the budget just to trim it down to an 11 per cent municipal tax increase. COMMUNITY CENTRES The one aspect of the proposed budget that stuck out to several councillors, however, was its various community centre budgets. While the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre finished 2014 on budget and the Vanastra Recreation Centre finished the year with a deficit of just over $4,000, which is related to roof repairs, Michiels said she found the budget trend at the Seaforth and District Community Centre troubling. The centre ended 2014 with a deficit of just under $21,000. This is Central Huron Council is ready to present its 2015 budget to residents complete with a 2.34 per cent increase to the municipal tax rate. Central Huron’s proposed 2.34 per cent municipal increase, when grouped with the Huron County and school board budgets, will result in a 0.82 per cent decrease in the overall taxation rate in Central Huron. With assessment up nearly across the board, however, taxes paid are likely to still rise. Director of Finance Terri Rau presented the budget to council at a special budget meeting held on April 7 in Clinton. In her report to council, she stated that within the 2.34 per cent municipal increase is an additional transfer of $50,000 to reserves for the municipal office roof repairs to accelerate the target of $25,000 and potentially complete the project one year earlier. Council finalized its decision at its April 13 committee of the whole meeting to go ahead with this option, which was one of four. The proposed budget will now be presented to the public at the April 20 meeting. The budget will contain $2,410,504 in capital requirements, a $933,746 transfer to reserves and a levy requirement of $5,786,371 (an increase of 7.97 per cent). The tax rate means that Central Huron residents will pay $624.66 of taxes per $100,000 of assessment. The budget includes several obligatory cash requirements such as principal debt payments for the Central Huron Community Complex, $85,662; the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) 25-year, $99,056; the REACH five-year, $56,653 and two equipment payments that add up to just over $75,000. There are also long-term debt interest payments included in the operating budget for the Central Huron Community Complex, $41,480; the REACH 25-year, $152,787; the REACH five-year, $1,923 and just over $1,200 for three different equipment obligations. The budget will be formally presented to the public at council’s April 20 meeting at 7 p.m. During the Blyth Horticultural Society’s annual general meeting, it was decided the organization would disband and seek a new life as a gardening club or similar organization. Chair Anne Elliott explained to The Citizen that the meeting, which was held at the Queens Bakery last week, marked the 93rd year the organization has been in operation, starting in 1922. A disbandment motion was tabled and passed according to Elliott. “It was the belief of those in attendance that [the Horticultural Society should dissolve] and assist in the forming of a new organization,” she said. Elliott explained the proposed new group could work under the umbrella of the municipality as volunteers and the members of the Horticultural Society talked about creating one organization that would be able to maintain the gardens, green spaces and cemeteries. The society’s written and financial records are to be kept for historical purposes, Elliott said. The organization’s remaining funds, which are approximately $5,000, will be split between maintaining the organization’s current gardens and green spaces through the proposed club and a project for Horticultural Park which has yet to be named according to Elliott. The majority of the funds will go to the project which Elliott said the group hopes will return the park to its former grandeur. While society members were sad to see the society disband, Elliott said there was a discussion of a positive nature around the potential creation of the new organization and members were encouraged by the idea. “We want to find a different way to do the same things,” she said. During a previous meeting with North Huron Township Staff, Elliott had explained the Horticultural Society is maintained through the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The club receives, from the ministry, funds based on their membership, provided it has its books audited and submits proper documentation. During the meeting, Elliott explained auditing the society’s books and providing the documentation took up a significant amount of time, so much so that, despite the financial gain, the society had not, for the past several years, applied for the grant. The form the new society will take will be discussed on May 14 at a special meeting focused on Blyth’s gardens and green spaces at the Emergency Services Training Centre (ESTC) and will start at 7 p.m. The Citizen Celebrating 30 Years 1985~2015 Tax rate to decrease in Central Huron By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 17