HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-04-11, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013.
Five options considered
for Central Huron budget
Huron East is ‘unwilling host’ to wind turbines
Flipping flapjacks
Mike Boven chipped in on Sunday morning as the
Londesborough Lions Club held an olde tyme breakfast for
the community. (Vicky Bremner photo)
April 16 is set as the date night for
Central Huron Council’s public
meeting on its 2013 budget. During
its April 2 session, councillors took
time out to debate the merits of five
options put forth by Finance
Director Terri Taylor.
Taylor reported option one
features an overall 3.43 per cent tax
decrease with a 3.84 per cent cut for
Central Huron purposes and $57,000
into reserves. Option two includes
an overall tax decrease of two per
cent and a 0.66 decrease for the
Central Huron portion with $57,000
into reserves and $167,800 to
finance the Harlock Bridge project.
Option three had overall 1.7 per cent
decrease, zero per cent for the
Central Huron portion, and $57,000
to a tax stabilization reserve with
$202,900 dedicated to the Harlock
Bridge project. Option four proposes
an overall one per cent increase, a
1.55 per cent hike to the Central
Huron portion with $57,000 to
reserves and $285,150 for the
Harlock Bridge. The final option
features an overall 3.78 per cent tax
increase, with a 7.92 per cent hike to
the Central Huron portion, $57,000
to reserves and $402,800 for
financing the Harlock Bridge.
While many of the proposed
increases were set at nominal
amounts or decreases, Councillor
Alex Westerhout said it is important
to remember the numbers do not
reflect the true story since taxes are
based on current value assessments,
which continue to rise.
“To say we’re having a zero per
cent increase is not real,” he said,
suggesting that if options four or five
were chosen, Central Huron
residents will be seeing an overall
tax increase of 50 per cent in the past
few years.
Westerhout also suggested a zero
per cent increase this year, coupled
with a decrease next year, could
easily be seen as a ploy for votes in
the 2014 municipal election.
In noting a number of new
expenses have come on board the
approximate $5 million annual
budget for Central Huron in the past
few years, including the Regional
Equine and Agricultural Centre of
Huron (REACH), the new fire hall,
and the new arena complex, Deputy-
Mayor Dave Jewitt said the other
reality is those new items come with
operating costs.
Councillor Dan Colquhoun was
more concise in his assessment.
“I am not going to support any one
of the [options],” he said. “We’ve
been spending money like drunken
sailors.”
Other councillors gravitated
toward option three, which includes
a 1.7 per cent tax overall tax
decrease, with a zero per cent
increase for Central Huron purposes
on a $5.289 million budget.
The reserve question proved to be
a concern to Councillor Brian
Barnim. He said in a harsh economic
climate, it is difficult for Central
Huron to justify putting extra money
aside care of taxpayers that are
financially strapped.
“I really believe we’re in a difficult
time right now,” he said, adding
taxes are “extremely high” in some
areas, particularly west of Highway
21.
Barnim said he finds it “very
difficult to support anything of any
magnitude” towards reserves.
Councillor Alison Lobb disagreed.
She said it is imperative to have
reserves in place for future projects
and unforeseen expenses.
Councillor Marg Anderson said
council must be mindful of the tough
economic climate in the county.
Meanwhile, Councillor Burkhard
Metzger supported option five which
he said seems to be the most fiscally
responsible given the reality of the
day is costs and wages are going up.
“It’s just the nature of the beast, I
think,” he said.
The deputy-mayor also supported
that option, but said he could
stomach option three if necessary.
Ultimately, council passed a
motion endorsing option three. A
final vote is anticipated to be held
following the April 16 public
session.
A big unknown for council is
whether it will move forward with
the Harlock Bridge project. Council
plans to review the tenders, which
are due prior to the budget vote,
before making a decision.
The Municipality of Huron East
has declared itself an unwilling host
to industrial wind turbines, but, says
Mayor Bernie MacLellan, that’s
about as far as council can go.
At Huron East Council’s April 2
meeting, dozens of anti-wind turbine
protestors were present to hear
council’s decision, but were
disappointed to hear that proposed
requirements between the
municipality and wind developers
are not a move that could be legally
made.
The way council approached the
issue, based on advice from two
different lawyers, which was
reviewed in closed session at the
beginning of the meeting, was to
raise a motion from Feb. 21, 2012,
that had been defeated.
The motion, MacLellan said, was
essentially to do the same thing as
some councillors wanted to do at the
April 2 meeting, to authorize an
agreement between the municipality
and wind turbine developers that
would make the developersfinancially liable for changes inproperty values, increases in noise
levels and adverse health effects.
Legally, Huron East had to revisit
the Feb. 21, 2012 motion, rather than
bringing up a new motion. In order
to raise a defeated motion for
discussion once again, a two-thirds
majority is required, which was
crucial when it was time to vote.
In a recorded vote, seven
councillors voted to bring back the
issue, while four councillors voted
against it; so while a simple majority
was achieved, the vote came one
vote short of a two-thirds majority,
therefore defeating the motion.
MacLellan explained that in the
legal advice received by council, two
different lawyers stated that the
municipality “wouldn’t have a leg to
stand on” if it were to enact a bylaw
requiring wind turbine companies to
pay the aforementioned damages.
After the vote was taken,
MacLellan explained to Huron East
Against Turbines (HEAT) founder
Gerry Ryan, and his dozens of
supporters, why council voted the
way that it did.He said that while council couldn’tenter into a legal agreement with any
developer, it was the municipality’s
hope that perhaps a gentlemen’s
conversation could take place where
council could get to the bottom of
some of its, as well as HEAT’s,
concerns.
“We can sit down and ask for
answers, because we want answers
too,” MacLellan said. “Can we ask
questions about property values and
health issues? Yes. Do we have a
legal foot to stand on? Absolutely
not.”
MacLellan said that according to
legal advice received by the
municipality, such requirements
would not be within the
municipality’s jurisdiction, because
the Green Energy Act is provincial
legislation.
In addition, he said, the legal
advice stated that in the rare
occurrence that such an arrangement
has been challenged by the province,
defending its legislation, the
municipality has not only lost the
case and had to pay its legal costs,
but has had to pay the province’slegal costs as well. All of thosefactors, MacLellan said, created a
situation that could potentially cost
the taxpayers of Huron East a large
amount of money.
“I don’t care,” said Ryan, “but I’m
only speaking personally.
“When the turbines go up, the cost
for me and my family is everything.
So don’t be looking for sympathy
from this group of people.”
While the motion to reconsider an
agreement between the municipality
and wind turbine developers failed
to receive a two-thirds majority vote,the first vote on a motion to declarethe municipality as an unwilling host
to wind turbines passed
unanimously.
A letter explaining the
municipality’s position has already
been sent to the Ontario Premier and
the Ministry of the Environment.
The term “unwilling host” to wind
turbines originated from Ontario
Premier Kathleen Wynne’s throne
speech in which she stated that only
willing host communities should
become home to wind turbines.
Huron County CAO Brenda
Orchard says she hopes to keep
things simple when the county hires
a new treasurer later this spring.
In answering a question from a
member of the local media, Orchard
acknowledged that in hiring a new
treasurer, the title of deputy-CAO
will no longer be attached to the
treasurer title, as it had been with the
last person holding the position,
David Carey.
Orchard said that not technically
having a deputy-CAO will not only
make filling in for the CAO less
complicated, but it will also cost the
county less and improve staff
development.
Orchard told members of the
media that there was a $10,000
honorarium attached to the deputy-
CAO title that will no longer need to
be paid. She also said that if she is
ever absent, the “title” of deputy-
CAO will go to one member of the
senior management team, and then a
different member the next time. She
says it will keep things fresh and
also aid in professional
development.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
We are seeking talented, engaged members of our communities who
have an interest in rural healthcare and expertise in one or more of
quality, communications, marketing, finance, governance, law, health
policy, strategic planning or recruitment. If you would like to be part of
a volunteer Board that will help forge the future of acute rural health
care in our communities, expressions of interest including background
information regarding your skills and experience will be received by
the C.E.O./Board Secretary, Karl Ellis, up to May 12, 2013. Elections
will be held at the Annual Meeting on June 12, 2013. Current
directors are eligible for re-election.
Corporation of the Wingham & District Hospital
The Wingham & District Hospital is calling for nominations of
individuals who are interested in serving as a Director on the Board.
Four Directors are required for a two year term. Elected Directors
must have a strong interest in health care services in Wingham and
area and meet eligibility criteria as defined in the corporation’s bylaws.
Corporation of the Listowel Memorial Hospital
The Listowel Memorial Hospital is calling for nominations of
individuals who are interested in serving as a Director on the Board.
Four Directors are required for a two year term. Elected Directors
must have a strong interest in health care services in Listowel and
area and meet eligibility criteria as defined in the corporation’s bylaws.
For additional information, please contact Denise Mino, Executive
Assistant, at 519-357-3210, ext. 5295 or denise.mino@lwha.ca
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By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
By Cheryl Heath
Special to The Citizen
County to ‘eliminate’
deputy-CAO position