Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-03-31, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, March 31, 2011 Volume 27 No. 13 RUGBY - Pg. 10Several locals travel toScotland for rugby trip TURBINES - Pg. 16 Huron East to considercontroversial bylawCURLING- Pg. 8Brussels Curling Club ends year, hands out awardsPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK: Treasurer suggests minimal tax increase in Huron East Election set for May 2 Lucknow fire chief meets with ACW A hot ride The North Huron Fire Department was sent out to Scott Line on Friday afternoon where a pick-up truck had caught fire. While the fire was persistent, firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and eliminate any danger just after the fire began at noon. (Shawn Loughlin photo) At the request of Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Township Council, Peter Steer, Fire chief of the Lucknow Fire Department, and ACW’s official fire chief gave his thoughts on the proposed North Huron fire coverage plan for Auburn. Steer, citing a recent fire in Auburn that caused the firemen and fire departments to become a “laughing stock of residents and local newspapers” stated that clear and precise direction was necessary from ACW to make agreements. “There was a minor fire in Auburn,” Steer explained. “And there was some confusion as to what was going on.” Steer stated that the fire call went to Central Huron’s fire department, and, as per their agreement with a structure fire, the Central Huron chief Steve Cooke notified Lucknow. Cooke then notified Blyth, as he believed the fire was in their coverage area. The result was more than 50 firefighters in 12 vehicles from the three departments being on scene for a chimney fire. “That could have been bad if something happened in one of the communities and firefighters were needed there,” Steer said. The important thing, according to Steer, is that there is a clear coverage area and that Auburn residents know who is going to respond when there is a fire. He also stated that, in trying to provide this, ACW was opening itself to other areas complaining. Steer stated that Port Albert is the same distance away from the Lucknow Fire Hall as Auburn is, and it might not be long before they begin making similar requests. Steer presented five solutions for fire coverage. The first, and most simple, is that ACW ratepayers are covered by the Lucknow Fire Department. The second is to maintain the current agreement with Central Huron to save the cost of switching over. Steer said that this solution might work if given time to have all the bugs work out. Steer’s third suggestion was to return to the previous reciprocal agreement in which the Blyth fire hall (North Huron Fire Department) covered the area east of the Maitland River. The fourth suggestion was that ACW council agree to North Huron’s coverage plan, but do so at a “more reasonable cost” and that North Huron pay the cost of changing the 911 system back. Steer’s final suggestion was to give North Huron a defined area to respond that runs west from Donnybrook Line to St. Augustine Line and north from Nile Road to Glenns Hill Road. “This would provide the residents of Auburn and along the west side of the Maitland River with clearly understood coverage and would also reassure residents that the closest fire department was responding,” Steer stated in his report. As for remuneration, Steer stated that an annual fee of $6,000 to $7,000 plus $200 per vehicle, per hour should be reasonable, and would be a huge deficit from the approximately $23,000 North Huron has suggested. Council decided that they would try and amalgamate several of the suggested solutions into one and would seek a meeting with North Huron council and fire chief John Black before making a decision. That meeting is set to take place sometime in April. Brad Knight, treasurer from Huron East, presented an updated second draft of the budget at the March 22 council meeting which proposed a rather modest tax increase for 2011. In Knight’s second draft of the budget, he included a six per cent increase in the general tax levy, a number that he admitted to council, is likely too high of an increase. He said he felt that an increase around three or four per cent would be more appropriate considering the municipality’s financial standing, but the rates would differ from ward to ward. “[The general levy increase] is certainly council’s decision,” Knight said. “But with the tax levy up six per cent, different wards are affected in different ways.” Knight continued by saying that council could drive the tax rate down a bit and considering funding and the municipality’s position at the end of 2010, Huron East would remain in decent financial shape. Under the six per cent proposal, Brussels would be facing the municipality’s largest tax increase (tied with Tuckersmith): a 10 per cent increase before the Huron County levy and education rates are factored in. The largest portion of the increase would come under policing in Brussels. Where policing set the people of Brussels back $76,800, under the proposed budget, that number would be increased to $111,104. Waste management and street lighting fees would remain the same. Each costs Brussels $25,000 per year, the same amount as it cost in 2010. The general levy would increase by just under $1,000, going from $208,377 to $209,211. The two remaining rural wards, Grey and McKillop, would be facing the average, a six per cent tax increase, while Seaforth would be covering the low end of the average, and face a one per cent tax increase under the proposed rates. Knight says that the municipality’s method of allocating police costs has helped to provide stability throughout the five wards. Initially Seaforth didn’t qualify for the police funding that the other four wards did and at the time, the Community Reinvestment Fund, which was eventually replaced by the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) money went to the rural wards to cover any costs that were greater than $90 per household. In 2010, however, the special one- time assistance was dropped and the formula needed to be tweaked. The tweaking, along with the extra $20,000, has resulted in some shuffling of costs throughout the wards. Brussels and Tuckersmith will see sizable increase, while Seaforth will see a sizable decrease. Grey will see a modest increase and McKillop will see a modest decrease. This would be the third time since amalgamation that the police rates will have been adjusted by the municipality. Knight said that there certainly could have been better planning implemented in the policing situation where a steady increase could have been used. That way, he said, increases could be predicted from year to year on more of a steady flow chart. Knight said that a four per cent increase in the general levy would be “very achievable”. A tax rate has yet to be finalized and budget deliberations will continue through April. At a later date, Knight said, he will be able to factor in the Huron County increase, which has been said to be sitting around 3.82 per cent after several budget meetings, but which has yet to be ratified by Huron County Council – and present a more complete budget. There were also concerns about department budgets. One of the biggest questions surrounding the Public Works Department was the rising costs of fuel. When asked if he had factored rising fuel costs into his budget, Public Works Director Barry Mills said that the budget had been raised by $30,000, which was essentially done in order to cover rising fuel Canadians will once again be returning to the polls for the fifth time in 10 years after a non- confidence vote passed on Friday, March 25, ousting Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Minority Government. Largely attributed to the budget presented by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the non-confidence vote came after nearly a year of tension and threats of a coalition government. Canadians will be asked to visit the polls on May 2 to vote for the next government of Canada. The current Parliament was dissolved on Saturday, March 26 by Governor-General David Johnston. All parties have weighed in on the results. Harper states that the other three major government parties, the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party (NDP) had their mind made up before the budget was presented. He has stated that he believes this is against what Canadians want. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has stated that Harper and his government have been running wild with the country and no longer respect the citizens of the nation. Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois has promised he will use this election as an opportunity to discuss Quebec independence and has flat out called Harper a liar. NDP leader Jack Layton stated that the budget that was proposed By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 19 By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 19