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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-07-27, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1988. McCall says plan to change authorities less efficient BRUCE McCALL Bruce McCall of Brussels, chair­ man of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, is angry over a recent interministerial report which proposes to amalga­ mate the province’s 38 conserva­ tion authorities into 23 larger units, amovewhichitsayswould save Ontario $5 million a year by making theoperation “leanerand more efficient.” Mr. McCall doesn’t agree. “It’s nothing more than another move to bring in regional government, ’ ’ he said. “In the long run, it will be an extremely costly and less efficient way to run something that is ZILLIAX SPECIAL LIVING ROOM NeilEIHott, son of John and Bev Elliott of Blyth graduated from Humber College Funeral Services on June 18. Neil is a graduate of F.E. Madill Secondary School, Wingham. Neil is employed at Beattie Furniture and Funeral Home Ltd., Clinton. Mabel's Grill Continued from Page 4 anything but then they complain more whenever the senators do do something. But the point, Julia suggested, is these guys never got elected to anything, just got appointed but they want to stop the elected people from doing what they were elected to do. It’s not democratic. Billie admitted he never went to college so he didn’t really under­ stand democracy too well. So it’s democracy, Billie asked, to have a guy promise to fight against free trade before he gets elected but then fight for it when he is elected then yells it’s not democratic because the guys who never got elected at all, won’t let him do what he said he would never do if he got elected. “No,” smiled Tim. “You’re not talking about democracy. You’ve got it mixed up with hypocrisy.” currently being very well run by local authorities.” Among other things, the report prepared by six Ontario assistant deputy ministers recommends that the 10 conservation authorities'll) southwestern Ontario be merged into five larger ones, with the resulting loss of a number of administrative jobs and paid politi­ cal appointments, as well as at an increased local cost. But Mr. McCall called the concept “rubbish,” adding that the overall cost of the plan at the municipal level would be “horren­ dous” when lost jobs and increas­ ed levies are taken into considera­ tion. He also worries about the decrease in efficiency he expects would be the result of an increased bureaucracy. * * It only costs (the M VC A) a total of $1,048 per (conservation author­ ity) member per year right now,” he said, adding * * it would be pretty pleasant for everybody if all government bodies were as effi­ cient and as accountable to the people they serve as the CA’s are today.” As yet the MVCA has taken no formal position on the report’s recommendations, but senior exe­ cutive and staff of the CA’s in the ZILLIAX FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES Monday to Saturday 9:30-5:30p.m. Thursday & Friday 'till9p.m. | \2iCCiax '^Julr’etun 1^** J a APPLIANCES Credit Card A Fourth General on Business LIST0WELWalla291*u6iNor,h GODERICH Ba,,ie»Sou,h Southwestern Region met in Lon­ don on July 14 to review the report in general terms, with the consen­ sus that each Authority should respond to the issues of major concern to itself before putting together a comprehensive report to present to Natural Resources minister Vince Kerrio later this year. A full executive meeting of the MVCA was held in Wroxeter on Monday (July 25) to discuss the report in detail, and a second meeting of the directors of the Regional Chapter of the Associa­ tion of Conservation Authorities of Ontario (ACAO) has been set for August9, at which time a collective response will likely be formulated. The controversial report was completed in December, 1987, but wasn’ t tabled until June 29, the day before the legislature recessed for the summer. Opposition critics charge that the government sat on the report for seven months, delaying its release until vacation season, to “soften the impact.” Mr. Kerrio agrees that the plan “could be controversial.” The report was ordered by the Peterson cabinet two years ago after a brief from the ACAO complained that provincial financ­ Limited Time Only ing of local authorities was not keeping pace with inflation, caus­ ing local authorities to fall behind in meeting the rising costs of various programs. In 1986, conservation authori­ ties across the province had a budget of close to $100 million, with $40 million coming from the province, $30 million raised through municipal levy, and close to $30 million in self-generated revenue. But the ACAO complain­ ed that it wasn ’ t enough to meet the escalating costs of operating On­ tario’s dams, reservoirs and flood control projects and other projects, as well as meeting the needs of 4.5 million visitors and 1.1 million campers each year at conservation areas and CA-operated camp­ grounds. But instead of increasing pro­ vincial funding, the proposed review would put local authorities on an even tighter budget that would save the provincial govern­ ment nearly $5 million per year in operating costs by shifting the same amount in annual operating coststolocalmunicipalities, al­ though the report is careful not to explain this. Besides increasing the local costs, amalgamting CA’s and We have over 50 living room suites to choose from in the newest colours & styles. Choose your sofa & chair today... reducing the number of Authority jobs, the new plan will see the CA’s responsibilities increase to include all aspects of flood control and erosion in their jurisdictions, while the province will take over direct responsibility for pollution control, urban and rural drainage, tree planting programs, and heritage conservation, among other things. As well, local parks and recreation areas now run by conservation authorities, such as Wawanosh Park and the Falls Reserve, will be turned over to municipal control. If the plan proceeds, the Mait­ land, SaugeenandGrey-Sauble Authorities would become one area, covering the northern part of Huron County and parts of Bruce, Grey, Perth and Wellington Coun­ ties, as well as the city of Owen Sound; while the Ausable-Bayfield and St. Clair Authorities would join, taking in the southern part of Huron County and parts of Perth, Lambton, Middlesex and Kent, as well as the city of Sarnia. When the plan was first unveiled Mr. Kerrio said, “These recom­ mendations are very far-reaching and I know that some will be the subject of very spirited discus­ sion.” According to Mr. McCall, he probably won’t be far wrong.