HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-04-21, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011. While the budget picture was
made significantly clearer at the
April 11 Central Huron Council
meeting, there were still doubts
surrounding certain charitable
donations that will hold up the
budget for at least another month.
At the April 11 meeting, several
concerns were addressed, including
a paving project on Telephone Road,
due to an unexpected surplus.
However, the municipality’s
dealings with the Regional Equine
and Agricultural Centre of Huron
(REACH) were still enough of a
variable that council felt the budget
deserved to be held until an exact
donation figure from the
municipality to the centre could be
set in stone.
After Central Huron contributed
nearly $600,000 to the centre in2010, a similar amount wasrequested by the REACH Board ofDirectors for 2011. That number,
however, has been the subject of
much discussion and scrutiny.
Because several councillors didn’t
want to contribute that much to the
centre for another year, further
deliberations with REACH
representatives were to take place
until a hard figure could be reached.
Information on that meeting will
return to council for approval when
the budget is reconsidered at a future
meeting (unless a special meeting of
council is called, it should be
considered for adoption at the
Monday, May 9 meeting).
The changes that were made to the
budget at the April 11 meeting,
however, were significant.
Council had been searching
extensively for $90,000 to pave
Telephone Road and director offinance Terri Taylor brought news tothe meeting that the municipalityhad received over $170,000 in a
policing refund.
The recommendation of council
was that $50,000 go back into the
policing budget, $90,000 go towards
the Telephone Road project and the
remaining $32,000 be put into
reserves, despite Councillors Brian
Barnim and Dan Colquhoun
suggesting that the rebate be passed
on to ratepayers in the form of
general revenue, which would lower
the 3.95 per cent tax levy that is
being proposed.
The two men were overruled,
however, and the tax rate is proposed
to remain at 3.95 per cent with the
unexpected $32,000 being put into
reserves.
Taylor felt this was a good idea as
little was being added to the reserves
this year, while a substantial amountwas being withdrawn.Taylor said the situation was “alittle scary” saying that the total
municipal reserves, not including
waste management, stand at
approximately $4.9 million, but will
drop significantly this year with $1
million being withdrawn for the
Central Huron Community Centre,
for a total of $1.5 million beingscheduled to come out of thereserves this year.While the meeting between
Central Huron Council and the
REACH Board of Directors took
place on April 14, a final donation
figure has yet to be determined and
will be presented at a future meeting
of council for ratification.
A presentation over a month in
waiting was given to Huron County
Council on April 13, as Central
Huron resident Bob Budd was
denied at the March meeting due to
a tabling motion that halted all
conversation before Budd could
present.
During a discussion regarding
surplus farmland severances at the
March 9 meeting of Huron County’s
Committee of the Whole, Budd had
registered as a delegation for the
meeting and had been added to the
agenda, but when discussion took a
turn and councillors felt the motion
should be tabled, Budd was legally
not allowed to make his
presentation.
Budd returned on April 13 to
make his presentation which
detailed the financial state of Huron
County and how the path to vitality
needs to be refocused.
Budd demonstrated that Huron
County was the only area in
southern Ontario that had decreased
in population over the last several
years, joining northern parts of the
province. The provincial average
was a growth of 6.6 per cent, while
Huron County was shown to have
shrunk by 0.6 per cent.
Scott Tousaw of the Huron
County Planning Department said
that while Budd’s figures were not
inaccurate, there are plenty of
contributing factors to population
change, adding that it’s “pretty
complex”.
Tousaw also added that while
Budd stated that lot availability is a
key for the Huron County economy
going forward, that he would
consider it a very small piece of the
puzzle.
“If we built 50 houses in Clinton
tomorrow, I’m not sure that 50
families would move into Clinton
tomorrow,” Tousaw said. “If that’s
the case, then there are 600 lots in
Port Albert.”
He said the decline is cause for
concern and that jobs and housing
should be paramount when
discussing the future of the county
and allowing severances.
Budd said that prime agricultural
land should be protected, but that
when dealing with small parcels of
land that would be unfarmable, they
shouldn’t be protected in the same
manner that a prime parcel of
agricultural land is. Because of the
strict regulations in place, Budd
stated, the economy is being stunted,
because the land is being closed to
development.
Budd said that other economic
drivers like the creative economy,
the potential wind industry and other
financial opportunities need to be
embraced and utilized on these
parcels, as opposed to protecting
unfarmable land.
The presentation took the majority
of its information from the Huron
County Planning Department and
several studies it has conducted over
the years.
Budd also stated that he felt the
attitude being taken towards school
closures was inaccurate as well,
saying that councillors and residents
need to see that school closures are
something that the area has brought
onto itself due to a declining
population and limited business
opportunities and jobs.
In the middle of Budd’s
presentation, however, an argument
erupted as Committee of the Whole
chair Bill Dowson attempted to cut
Budd’s presentation off after 10
minutes.
There was significant confusion as
to whether there was an actual time
limit on presentations or not, as
Central Huron receives funding; defers budget
County presentation
causes controversy
Posters to remember
The Blyth Legion presented Blyth Public School students with certificates and awards for their
contributions to the annual Remembrance Day poster contest. Shown receiving their awards
are, back row, from left: Logan Chalmers, second place junior colour, Kayla Gauthier, first
place junior colour, Clarissa Gordon, second place junior black and white and Connor Brooks,
first place junior black and white. Front row, from left: Joy Pizzati, third place primary colour
and Jaidan Grisdale, third place junior black and white. Blyth Legion President Andy Lubbers
(left) and Second Vice Thelma Johnston (right) presented the awards. (Denny Scott photo)
Enough speakers for surround sound
Blyth Legion President Andy Lubbers and Second Vice Thelma Johnston presented awards to
Blyth Public School’s zone public speaking winners last week. Receiving awards were back
row, from left: Phaedra Scott who placed second at the intermediate level, Eric Steele who
took third place at the intermediate level, Courtney Bachert who was the second place junior
speaker, Kayla Gauthier who was awarded second place in the junior competition. Front row,
from left: winners were Joy Pizzati, who was the third place primary speaker, Evy Vershaeve
who took second primary honours and Ella Sawchuk who was recognized as the first primary
winner. (Denny Scott photo)
YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND
Open House and Ribbon Cutting
to celebrate the completion of the
renovated Quiet Room
at the Seaforth Hospital site
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 18