Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-05-14, Page 3THREE PHASE Electric "EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL" * ECONOMY * SERVICE QUALITY BARRY BUCHANAN 482-7374 GLENN McLEAN 887-9264 P.O. BOX 1138 CLINTON, ONT, 41- WEEKLY SALE BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS LTD. EVERY FRIDAY At 12 Noon Phone 887-6461 Brusselo, Ont. H' & N DAIRY SYSTEMS LTD. Sales, Service 8 Installation of Irri pipelines & Via milking parlours 887-6063 R.R.4 WALTON MAITLAND VALLEY Insurance Agency Ltd. Auto - Fire Casualty life BRUSSELS 887-6663 MONKTON Murray Siddall 347-2241 41111111111110.111111111IN B us system in tegrated THE plows pow MAY 14, MO.—, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?—Villagers Jamieson caught on fire Thursday night causing gathered around a house owned by Mrs. Elsie ' $6,000 damage. Evans when an apartment occupied by. David (Photo by Ranney) BY DAVE SYKES The taxpayers of Huron County will face a 14.65 per cent increase in public school education taxes this year. The Huron County Board of• Education approved its 1980 budget at a special meeting Thursday, en- dorsing expenditures of $25, 452,768. That represents an increase of 7.9 per cent over the $23,583,350 spent by the board in 1979. Much of the almost $2 million increase is blamed on inflation and declining enrol- ment which subsequently re- sulted in less provincial grants. The biggest portion of the budget goes to teaching in- struction ,wliere the, board has set aside $18,637,191 an increase of 8.1 per /cent over the 1.979 allocation. The budget tendered lengthy debate and much of it centered on the provision cutting the boafd members honorariumS by $600 to $3,000 a year. Trustee, Dave Gower, suggested the move was necessary in reducing costs, "We shouldn't get emotional about the cuts but we better start looking at long term ramifications," he said. "We haven't done any long range planning and 'political aspirations aside the board has to look at school closings to reduce the budget The honorariums is just one step in cutting back." Trustee. John Elliott argued that board members spend a good deal of time away from their jobs and added that he attended over 100 meetings a year as chairman of the board. "Now the budget committee says we are not worth the money and I think they are over reacting," he said. "You've skrimped and embarassed the trustees and at the same time reduced supplies anclservices that hurt the students. Elliott was concerned about .a 14.5 per cent re- duction,in the education ser- vices and supplies budget. He maintained that cuts in that area would only cripple the education system: "We stress impact to the taxpayer and not the student," he claimed. John Henderson refuted Elliott's arguments about the FH.,noriarium decreased claiming the board has to set examples. "If we aren't willing to take a cut then how can we talk about decreasing the budget," he said. "If you can't accept that well, it's .your decision." Elliott said his complaint was that the board nickeled and dimed the budget and services while greater savings could be realized with co-operative busing. Henderson explained that there is the same amount of money allotted to each student in services but declining enrolment has forced the budgeted figure downward. Herb Turkheim claimed a cut in trustee pay was bad move and suggested that trustees who only attend a few meetings could donate some of their money. He later added that trustees perhaps, should have $50 or $100 taken from their pay for missed meetings. Elliott said the reduction in honorariums was not, important but that the principle was., "I am prepared for the reduction and further re- ductions yr the money is used in supplies and services," he said. "Give the money back to the students." Elliott claimed that most municipal employees in the county have received increases this year and insisted the board's cut in pay was .a move just to suit the taxpayer. Gower charged that board of education trustees don't do near the work of municipal councillors. "There is no comparison between this job and municipal one," Gower said. "We do not earn the $3,600 and I would like the secretary The Huron County Board of Education received .the vandalism report at its May 5 meeting for the first three months of 1980 and statistics show that the number of incidents and damage done is about half as bad as it was this 'time last year. This year, there ,have been BY CATEI WOODEN The Huron. County Board of Education got one step closer to its goal of control, ling the entire busing system for all Huron County schools at its May 5 regular meeting. Transportation Manager R.L. Cunningham and the Management Committee's proposal for the integration of busing arrangements for Hullett Township students attending the Central Huron Secondary School, the Clin- ton and District Christian School and the •Hullett Central Public School was accepted by the board. • Students will all be bussed into Londesboro where Hut- lett Central is located and those that have to go to Clinton schools will be express bussed there. This will make it possible to eliminate one bus and save $5,000 ,a year. Hullett now joins Usborne Township, Ashfield Township and the Seaforth area in the integrat- ed bus system. In the same recommend- ation to the board the committee stated that the board should drop the idea of combined bussing for Stan- ley Township. (The students to prepare numbers(,,on -the number of meetings trustees 'attend)." Elliott made an ammende- ment to the motion calling for an additional $200,000 to be placed in .the budget to be used for supplies and services or if not needed, to be placed in a reserve fund. Earlier in the meeting R.B. Dunlop pointed out that the reserve account was in bad shape. He indicated that if all the county teach rs retired the board would owe over $2 million in gratuities and benefits. He said that the board usually knows a year in advance in a teacher is retiring and the gratuities are included in the following year's budget under benefits. A teacher is entitled to ,a pension after 12 ,years service. 72 incidents costing the board $2525.48 while last Year $4418 was spent un- doing the damage of 148 acts of vandalism to Huron County schools. The elementary schools have accounted for 23 of the incidents causing $1742.86 involved attend high school in Clinton and Huron Cen- tennial Public School at Brucewent fleici.) over every route and no matter what we do, we won't save a mile," said trustee R.K. Peck. He explained that the Bayfield River makes it a more difficult township than Hul- lett. Trustee John Elliott said he could not accept that part of the recommendation and stated that "if it works in Hullett, why not Stanley? Why not bus them all to Huron Centennial and then bus the high school students on to Clinton?" As a result, the board suggested that the commit- tee look into, the matter again. Another section of the recommendation also came under the board's questions, but was grudgingly passed. It stated that "the present arrangement „whereby the !Clinton and District Christian School' settles its financial responsibilities for such transportation directly with' ' the bus contractor be con- tinued." Elliot again' tirotested, arguing that, "if the Huron County Board of Education is going to establish Co. operative bussing, then it should control the paying of the contractors. There should be no private deals." This triggered a discussion among trustees who said that the Whole county should haye integrated bussing now rat- her than doing a bit at a time. Trustee Herb Turkheim said that Kent County Board of Education controls the bus- sing for , all the schools including the Christian schools and Roman Catholic schools. "They save a lot of dollars." Trustee John Henderson reminded him that the separate schools here "just won't go along with it, so why not let the Christian school settle their bill with the bus contractor without us?" "Well, it's time to ap- proach the separate schools again. It will save everybody money," said trustee B.P. Morin. "But we can't do all of this at once. It's no time to be rash." damage. Huron Centennial in Brucefield was victimized the most, with $674 damage. The other 49 incidents took place at the five secondary schools, totalling $782.62. The 15 incidents at South Huron in Exeter accounted for $545.69 of the total damage. School taxes up nearly 1 5°0 hoot vandalism halved in4wr, Ff.