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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-04-01, Page 3BEST NURSERY RHYME CHARACTER — Amy Workman, Marnie Ditsch arid Trevor Machan were prize winners in this category at the costume carnival at theBrussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre on Monday night, (Photo by Ranney) THE BRUSSELS POST, APRIL 1, 1981 — A3 People we know WOMEN OF THE ORIENT? — No, just Brenda Richmond and Bonnie Evans dressed up for the figure skating club's costume carnival on Saturday night. The judges thought they were winners and gave them first prize. (Photo by Ranney) BEST ADULT CLOWNS — Ralph Watson and Esther McCutcheon came out on top as the best adult clowns at the costume carnival at the arena on Saturday night. (Photo by Ranney) Visitors with Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Perrie last week were Rev, and Mrs. James Perrie, Paul and Linda and Mrs. Alice Heaslip of Shakespeare and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Perrie and family. While loading cattle last week, Bill Perrie received painful bruises when he was severely kicked by an en- raged cow. The following area people enjoyed a weeks skiing at Mont Saite-Anne, Quebec- Robert, Rene and Brenda Richmond; Doug, Jean, Bonnie and Roger Evans; Jim, Leona and Leanne Arm- strong; Steven and Joanne Knight; Joan Cardiff, Brenda Ten Pas, Irina Watts, Susan Cardiff, Melinda Hamilton, Crystal Devlin, Nancy Ben- nett and Steven Huether. Mary Holmes and Becky McKinley from the Clinton area and eighteen members of the Mitchell District High School Ski Club also went on the trip. County budget $10 million, up 7.5% BY HENRY HESS Huron County Council last week voted approval of a 1981 budget calling for spending of $10.7 million. This is up by 7.5 per cent over the 1980 budget, though it is some $36,000 under actual spending last year, when the county overshot its budget -by more than half a million dollainsoRoad construction and the new Auburn garage accounted for the overspending. As a result, the county portion of the budget to be collected from Huron munici- palities has shot up by more than 21 per cent this year. The 1981 county apportionment is $2,748,100. up from $2.264,500 in 1980. Bill Hanley. county clerk-treasurer and adminstrator, explained the large increase in apportionment is $2,748,100, up from $2,264,500 in 1980. Bill Hanly, county clerk-treasurer and BY DEBBIE RANNEY Two representatives from the Ministry of Housing were at a special meeting of Grey Township council last Monday to discuss the Ontario Home Renewal program (OHRP). The OHRP program provides grants for municipalities to assist the owner occupants to repair their homes. The maximum amount given to the homeowner cannot , exceed $7500 and the municipality which administ- ers the funds can use them for both forgivable loans and repaying loans pro- . viding that the maximum amount of the loan doesn't exceed $7500; the maximum forgivable is $4000. Loans are related to income. Before an OHRP loan is approved, a building inspector makes a report and lists all the things he feels are required to bring the house up to standard. Sally Hannon, senior community renewal officer from the Ministry„ of Housings explained to council and if the amount of repair exceeds $7500 the homeowner is responsible for the additional amount. An assessment is done of the applicant's ability to pay and up to $4,000 may be forgiven. The owner must live in the house and earns forgiveness on the forgivable portion of the loan at a rate of $600 per year by holding title to and occupying the property. If the homeowner transfers the title, leases or rents the property, he will be required to pay both the unearned portion of the forgivable loan and the balance of the repayable loan and interest immediately. Once the building inspector has completed his inspection and advised the homeowner of what is required, the individual has to have two contracts, one with the contractor, the other with the municipality. It was recom- mended that when the money was paid out that the cheque be made out to the contractor and the homeowner and that they bOth sign it. A LIEN When the contract is signed between the homeowner and the municipality, a lien is registered against the property and the government also requires a title search to adminstrator, explained the large increase in apportionment can be traced directly to the overspending. Whereas the county started last year with a $253,538 surplus. it finished with a deficit of $504,150. In addition $305,000 from highway reserves was used to reduce the apportionment last year, and. so is not available in 1981. The remainder of revenue in the budget will conic from Ontario grants of $6.4 million, ,,fees and service charges of $1.7 million, other revenue of $253,069 and municipal grants and fees of $90,300. Mr. Hanly pointed out to council that over the past seven years the province has been picking up an even larger share of the county budget. In 1975 provincial grants accounted for $3.3 million of a $6.7 million budget, while this year they represent $6.4 million of a $10.7 million dollar budget. ensure that the property is owned by the applicant. An OHRP loan can be repaid over a period of up \to 20 years, but the municipality has the opportunity to set a time limit of five or 10 years, whatever is feasible. The loan is based on a monthly payment of principal and interest with no interest charges for the first six months and the owner can repay on an annual, semi-annual or monthly 'basis. Ms. Hannon explained that the money received should be put into an interest bearing account and that it goes into a revolving fund - not into the municipality's general fund. She said that the loan policy is on a first come, first served basis, but that the municipality should use the basic guidelines provided by the program. When asked how long it would take to implement the program she said that the budget becomes available in April and that all funds are allocated by June. Wingham Hospital gets grants Wingham and ;District Hospital has received a number of grants toward construction and renovation, Bruce County granted $15,000; Turnberry Township, $8,000; Teeswater, $5,000; and Ashfield, $5,000; Kinloss, $7,000; Morris, $8,000. In other hospital news, a life membership was awarded to Ross Janiieson of, Witighanf hi recognition of his donation of $100 to the hospital building fund. The Public Relations Committee of the Wingham and District Hospital Board will be publicizing the hospital during the week of May 10 when they will be borrowing equipment from the Historical SOciety for store front displays, and banners will be placed at both ends of Wingham. The road committee. which had been instructed to review its proposed budget with an eye to trimming sonic $200,000, brought back a revised budget to council. Lloyd Mousseau, committee chairman, reported that by deleting the paving of County Road 11, cutting back resurfacing of- County Road 20 to two inches of asphalt from three inches and various other economics, the committee had managed to trim $177,000 from its budget. "This is about as far as we can go with our budget this year,” he told council, noting that. the increase in the county tax rate for roads is now 13.38 per cent. LITTLE CONTROVERSY While there was little controversy over the county budget, which had been thor- oughly hashed out during previous meet- ings, this was not the case with a proposal that the county switch to assessment as the basis for determining the percentage of costs each municipality is required to contribute, instead of using a blend of population and assessment. In the end the change passed easily, but not before there were some arguments. by several reeves who felt the change - would unfairly increase the burden to their municipalities: Bayfield Reeve George Fellows led the attack, noting that under the new formula his village would see its levy increase by nearly 40 per cent. ,He claimed the village was being penal- ized because it has a large number of summer residents, adding that the biggest part of the county levy is devoted to roads, while there isn't a single county road in Bayfield. Mr. Mousseau also pointed out that by switching to assessment as the basis for calculating the levy, instead of using population, cottagers who own seasonal residences in the , county as well as permanent homes are being asked to pay twice for county services. "Do you feel these people arc being treated fairly under this assessment?" he asked. Mr. Hanly and Bill Alcock, the deputy clerk-treasurer, told council the intent of the change is to make sure everyone pays his fair share. When population figures were used. seasonal residents were not counted as part of the population since they arc not included in the Ministry of Revenue census, Mr. Alcock pointed out. As a result, municipali- ties with a large number of cottagers were getting a break in paying for county services., At the same time, the municipalities themselves use assessment as the sole basis for levying their own taxes, so the cottagers were being charged for county services. It just meant that everyone in those municipal- ities were paying a smaller share than ratepayers in municipalities with fewer seasonal residents. Mr. Hanly noted that even with the 39.5 per cent increase in its county levy, Bayfield still has what amounts to the lowest, county mill rate of any town or village in Huron, while Wingham's is the highest. "(In previous years) Hayfield was not paying endugh. That's what the figures show." He agreed with a suggestion from Goderich Deputy Reeve Robert Allen that sometime in the future there should be a move to county-wide equalized assessment. MARKET VALUE "I think (market value) is the only way to go," he said. "Sometime we have to have equalized assessment across the county, so no matter where you live in the county you pay the same." Please turn to page 16 Grey hears about OHRP loans