HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-05-09, Page 1See page 6
Big celebration
Blyth WI
celebrates 80 years
See
Grant sought
E. Wawanosh seeks grant
for book
Review
Pianist’s music
stronger than humour
See page 23
Trustees approve 13.4% education tax increase
After what became a marathon
session on May 7,‘ the Huron
County Board of Education (HCBE)
trustees and its administration
came up with a bare bones budget
VOL. 6 NO. 19
Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel,
Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1990.
“Ladiesand Gentlemen, The Beatles! ’ ’ These words were first
spoken in February of 1964 and again on Wednesday even ingas
Brussels Public School’s answer to Ed Sullivan introduced the
FabFouratthemusicnightentitled“MusicThroughthe
Decades’’. Each class represented a decade with song and
history and this air band along with the rest of the Grade 112
students entertained with music from the sixties. From left,
Andrew Garland, Joey Mullen and Michael Walker are
three-quarters ofthegroup. Not pictured was the fourth
member of the quartet, Ian McDonald.
Brussels council increases local tax 5,4%
After a good deal of soul-search
ing Monday night, Brussels village
councillors approved a budget that
will see local taxes increase by 5.4
per cent but will also see the village
borrow $100,000 to complexe an
ambitious road construction pro
gram for the year.
Councillors went back and forth
for nearly an hour as they tried to
decide whether or not to approve
the budget. The point of contention
was the plan to go ahead with
development of the village’s north
for ^this year which still sees
ratepayers facing a 13.4. per cent
increase in the mill rate over last
year.
On an average assessment of
end industrial park at the same
time the village is also committed
to providing services for the Huron-
view North home for the aged just
across the village limit in Morris
township, south of town.
Councillors had agreed that if
four lots in the industrial park were
sold by May 1, they w'ould go ahead
with the expense of building a road
and servicing the lots of the
development. But when Keith Mul
vey and Hank TenPas of the
industrial committee appeared be
$44,000 this amounts to an increase
of $58.65 over last year’s taxes for
the school board. Superintendent
of Operations Paul Carroll says that
in terms of gross expenditures,
fore council they could only confirm
only two firm offers. Mr. Mulvey
said he had hoped that deals would
have come together earlier in the
day to get the other two lots sold
but there had been delays. “There
is interest but nothing definite
now,” he said.
Mr. TenPas said he personally
felt the area is going to be
attractive to industry and other
municipalities are “getting ready
to be ready” when industry comes
calling. Selling the lots had been
which includes the compulsory
additions imposed by the provincial
government the real increase is
probably around three per cent. “It
is a no-growth budget,” he said.
50 CENTS
hampered, he said, because there
is no road into the area for people
to even get in to it. If council felt it
couldn’t do the project this year,
could it be done another year, he
wondered.
Reeve Gordon Workman was the
strongest supporter of pushing
ahead with the development. “We
have to be prepared to gamble a
little for the year,” he said. Noting
that two businesses had purchased
Continued on page 2
Last week the initial proposal
presented to the trustees was sent
back in order for administration to
make cuts targeted towards 10 per
cent, as several trustees, particu
larly Blyth-Hullett trustee John
Jewitt and Howick trustee Norm
Wilson, felt the impact on the
ratepayers would be too great.
Debate raged this week over the
proposed cuts in the budget for
about five hours as trustees volley
ed issues and concerns back and
forth in an attempt to come up with
the lowest increase to ratepayers
without imposing too much restric
tion on the standard of education
for the county’s students.
Chair Joan Van den Broeck says
that since she came on the board
eight years ago it is the “toughest
budget she has ever had to deal
with”. Robert Allan, who has been
director of Education of HCBE for
seven years concurred. “This has
been the most difficult budget by
far. I think the single biggest factor
was the reduction of grants from
the province to the boards.” He
went on to say that these cutbacks
are in amounts that has made it
difficult for the board to work and
keep the percentage as low as
possible.
Ms. Van den Broeck referred to
the new budget as, “a skeleton”
leaving no flesh for the board to
work with, while Mr. Allan said
that though it may be possible for
the board to operate with a budget
like this one for one year they
couldn’t expect to do it for many
more.
Ms. Van den Broeck said she felt
the board’s reasoning for making
these drastic cuts was in the hopes
of translating to other groups, what
the boards are facing and the
detriment to education this could
be.
While decreasing the amount of
grants they are issuing to the
boards the provincial government
has also added additional costs
which account for 9.3 per cent of
the increase. Introduction to pay
equity was $412,355; adjustments
to the Canada Pension Plan, Un
employment Insurance and Work
mens’ Compensation cost
$213,200; Occupational Health and
Safety was $62,000; the cost to
change from OHIP to pay roll
amounted to $275,000 and plans for
downsizing teacher/pupil ratio for
grades one and two has to date cost
the board $666,900. In addition the
board will soon be faced with the
costs involved in the implementa
tion of Junior Kindergarten.
These costs and others are
on-going operational expenses,
which will become part of the
budget in ensuing years and this
was the concern voiced by trustee
Tony McQuail. “We are simply
deferring items. They are going to
come up in next year’s budget,” he
reminded.
One cut made that caused much
concern was to accumulated re
serves for working funds where
administration proposed $80,326
cut from elementary panel and
$283,746 from the secondary panel.
This was Mr McQuail felt an
“irresponsible action’’. What
we’re doing is saying we have real
expenses and let’s use our savings
account to make them disappear.
We can cushion the apparent effect
on ratepayers but, we’re spending
these reserves on on going pro
jects. It is just deferring these costs
and doesn’t seem a responsible
Continued on page 21