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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1990-06-20, Page 1And up again West Wawanosh taxes up 9.77% See page 13 Wilson says farmers win with GST BY BONNIE GROPP The Goods and Service Tax is necessary for the Canadian econo my. The Free Trade agreement is working positively for Canada and the bill on the Meech Lake issue will be passed on schedule. These were the assurances reiterated by Finance Minister Michael Wilson during his visit in Wingham on June 14. Mr. Wilson, who was visiting Huron riding, stopped in Wingham for one hour to tape a special edition of the CKNX television program “The Family Farmer’’, addressing the impact the propos ed GST will have on the agriculture industry. Following that he touched briefly on the issues of Meech Lake and Free Trade in an interview with the station’s news team. According to Mr. Wilson, the GST will only have a positive effect on costs for farmers as they will save through the $250,000,000 available from the government for rebates. Keeping the costs of products lower will make it easier for Canadians to compete, Mr. Wilson says. “This is the basic reason for the tax. It is to improve our competitive position interna tionally.’’ Mr. Wilson explained farmers will be eligible for ' rebates on merchandise that.-is not exempt from the GST, provided they apply. That statement provoked com ments on the increase in workload this will mean to farmers who already work 14 hour days and will now have to deal with extra time on book work. Wilson said the system is efficient and farmers should not find themselves bogged down, saying instead it was more likely to make them more efficient. “It’s a one page rax return. We are trying to make the list as broad as we can.’’ He went on to say that while there would definitely be an in crease in the book work, it should n’t be a massive amount as the procedure is quite simple and most will leave it to their accountants to handle. The exemption list for agricul- "& Continued on page 7 dO’ OPP investigate Walton break-in Wingham OPP are investigating a robbery that occurred sometime during the evening of June 12 at Humphries’ General Store in Wal ton. Constable Ken Balzer stated that the police were notified on the morning of June 13 after the store’s owner, Bill Humphries, discovered the break-in. According to the police, the thieves gained entry through a basement window. Ap proximately $1200 in cash was stolen in addition to some cigar ettes. There are no suspects at this time. Constable Balzer said and the investigation is continuing. Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. r VOL. 6 NO. 25 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1990. 50 CENTS Checking it out An O.P.P. identification crew enters Humphries’ Store in Walton discovered the break-in after the thieves gained entry through a Wednesdaymorningtoinvestigateabreak-inatthestore, which is basement window. About $1,200 plus cigarettes were taken, also the Walton post office. Store owner Bill Humphries Blyth taxes increase 8.66% in new budget Taxes will increase by 8.66 per cent for residential public school supporters and 8.72 for separate school supporters under a budget adopted by Blyth Village council Wednesday night. The residential mill rate will now be 24.318 for public school sup porters and 24.922 for separate school supporters (28.608 and 29.319 respectively for commer cial). The budget passed with no discussion. Council had considered the provisions at its May meeting and actually increased the village rate to provide a nest egg in case it has to buy a new works department tractor. Despite purposely building in several contingencies to keep the increase from being too low, coun cil still ended up with only a 4.72 per cent increase in the mill rate for village purposes. Council was help ed by a $94,962 surplus from last year and a 2.23 per cent increase in the assessment in the village to keep the rate low. The assessment shows in fact that although in dollar terms the growth of the village budget was 6.69 per cent (to $189,144 from $177,291), the tax increase was only 4.72 per cent. The increase means that a public school supporter with a home assessed at $50,000 would pay an additional $96.95 this year in taxes. The budget provides for an extra $34,000 to be put into reserves this year, the largest amounts being $15,000 for the main street drain and $12,500 for public works equipment. The budget also provides for $15,000 for office renovations and equipment; $15,000 for improve ments to street lighting under the Pride program and an increase of more than $28,000 for a sidewalk replacement, also under Pride. Also under the Pride program which pays 50 per cent of improve ments, and the Capital Conserva tion Program which provides one third funding are: $16,482 for arena improvements; $25,000 for improvements to Memorial Hall; $25,500 for improvements to the park in co-operation with the Huron McKillop township taxes increase 9.2% for 1990 McKillop Township set its mill rates for this year at a meeting on June 5 with an increase of two per cent over last year’s for general municipal. The residential and larm rate is set at 4.218 while the commercial and business rate is 4.962. The total mill rate, which includes county and school board tax is 18.814 for public school supporters and 19.418 for separate Pioneer Threshers; $6,000 for bleachers; $12,000 for the Radford ball diamond (already committed earlier); $7,000 for park landscap ing; and $15,000 for planters and entrance signs. Renovations to the library if it moves to Memorial Hall are budgeted at $12,000. school. This results in an increase of 9.2 over last year. The actual amount raised for general municipal will be $332,342 and for county purposes $259,616. For public elementary it is $338,738 and for public secondary it is $265,441. On the separate school panel $169,525 will be raised for elementary and $132,014 for se- Contlnued on page 23