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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-05-05, Page 3newS Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, May 5, 1982—Page 2 Huron board of education approves budget... •fro° page 1 $15,120,010 in 1982. Salaries and benefits, including teachers' salaries, increases.11.7 per percent, from 59,920,481 to 511,080,225. ' Transportation has been budgeted a 22.3 per cent increase, up from $1,173,707 in 1981 to $1,435,270 in 1982: There are no board owned school buses for the secondary school level. Capital projects have been budgeted at $527,464, an 87.7 per cent increase over 1981 costs of $281,006; Projects approved by the board include an estimated $70,000 for a new roof at Seaforth District High School, a new, roof at South. Huron District High School, Exeter, estimated at S135,000 and asbestos hazard repairs at $235,000. Estimated expenditures, for the board administration centre increased 18.5 per. cent, from 51,953,391 in 1981 to $2,314,826 in 1982. Administration and trustee salaries and benefits increased 29.6 percent from $1,166,966 to S1,512,955. Wingham councillor Jim Currie . (at the special meeting along with other municipal representatives), asked to have the adminis- tration salaries . and benefits explained to • him. By his own calculations, he foundthe individual salary increases "stiff". Direct explained of education John Cochrane p the cost of curriculum co-ordinat- ors increased from $14,282 to $78,165 because presently there is only one co-ordinator, who was employed in Sept- ember of last year and this number will be increased by two. When asked by Mr, Currie ' what a curriculum co-ordinator is, Mr. ' Cochrane said they assist teachers in preparing course outlines and curriculum. He added they used to be supplied by the Ministry of Education, but now every school board has to have its own. , A student services cost increase from $373,238 to 5484,190 in 1982, was also questioned by Mr. Currie. Mrs. Wallace explained the increase represented staff increases as part of the implementation of special education. Under business administration, up from a 1982 figure of 5206,829 to 5261,810 in 1982, personnel relations administrator Peter Gryseels said there was an average eight per cent salary ' increase, and he added that in 1981, one employee was on sick leave, being OFA brief comments on agriculture's decline... *from page 1 a producer without' making the new loan eligible for interest subsidy". It also sug- gested that the program allow consolidated debts to be eligible for interest assistance. The brief suggested that the Farm Prod-, uctivity:Incentive• Program be replaced by a.. better program, since it "has become ina= dequate in relation to present capital costs and •... is destined to, become lesscost. efficient". ' • OFA suggested that it be replaced by a low interest loan program.. Loans of up to $50,000 each could be made, at a fixed rate of eight per cent, repayable over 10 years. The improvement would. have to better a • .farm's environmental standard and make it more competitive. The brief also suggested the government "take inventory" of the many programs it administers, since "some of them have likely outlived their original purpose". The brief refers to them as "small change programs,.' whose cost of administration might well exceed the funds it puts out The OFA is willing to help the government review these programs, the brief said. Tile Drainage "The OFA is anxious that the tile drainage program be set straight once and for all," OFA's brief to the provincial cabinet said. It suggested this could be done by setting up a revolving • tile drainage fund. Loans could be made from the fund and principalani interest payments could flow into . it. This'1 would call for an additional minimum of 510 million a year (in 1982 dollars) from the government. "This amount isn't much greater than the 58.5 million' in net funds contributed in 1981," the brief said, "but because the. payments can be retained, the fundwill be able to loan 531 million in. 1982 and 555 million in 1986." ' The brief said present funding isn't ' sufficient and "has created an element of uncertainty among farmers planning to tile their land. The revolving fund would not only bring greater stability to the program, it would also inspire confidence in the govern- ment's 'commitment to farming". The brief also referred to the Eastern , Ontario Subsidiary Agreement, in which the federal and provincial government share two-thirds of the cost of municipal outlets assessed against farm land. Farmers pay the remaining third. • Federal funds to the program have run out. Farmers are paying two-thirds of the • cost. The OFA asked the government to pay the federal share of the cost, and negotiate with the federal government for reimburse- ment. Market Risk Iniurance "The events of last year are painful proof that existing stabilization schemes are ina- dequate," commented the OFA brief, "They do not protect producers from extreme cyclical and other unforseeable. price changes," the brief said. Stabilization programs have structural weaknesses that 1 can't be "remedied simply through federal enrichment or provincial top -loading". • • Existing programs don't stabilize returns "in an economy experiencing high and ste- ady inflation". The programs don't give any I signals regarding the amount . a farmer can. produce profitably: For instance, support prices are announced a year, after the crop has been marketed. This "forces producers into a guessing game", the brief said, and "as a result, stabilization payments amount to nothing but a lump sum compensation". The brief includes a comprehensive framework developed by the OFA, for • a market risk insurance program that would overcome these weaknesses. A good stabilization program should look , ahead, rather than looking back at historical figures. It should give timely signals of the desired level of 'production and the price level at which production will be supported. The OFA's market risk insurance program provides a• reasonable assurance that farm- ers won't go -further into debt producing food. -Environment "Farmers are witnessing the erosion of their most basic, resource," the OFA said in the brief, referring to the Toss of food land. due to non-farm encroachment. ' The brief said existing methods of resolving land -use' conflicts don't do the job. The Agricultural Code of Practice "is rot being used to protect any further agricul- tural develo ment", the said. "The very instrument designed to protect our industry is . being • used as a weapon against it". Referring to the Certificate of Compliance, the brief said "farmers receive no protection at all by obtaining one". The 'OFA has developed an Agricultural Development and Protection .Act. It offers' "an equitable process to assess pollution • complaints. enforce standards and approve paid through an insurance plan and not by the board. Mayor William Harris of Wingham asked` about the deferring of the special education reserve fund. It if isn't put in place this year, would . special education costs be more by 1985 - the date by which special education is' to be implemented? Mr. Cochrane explained the Special Education Advisory. Committee suggested the board "set aside a pot money". He said special education funding from the Ministry will be put into general revenue. . "Will •we be hit between the eyes in 1985?" asked the mayor. I Mr. Cochrane explained the board hada already had a, special education program in place and most of the additional hiring required is being done in 1982. The mayor also questioned the board's need to collect taxes from municipalities four times a year. "It is strictly economics," said . Mr. Cochrane. The Wingham mayor replied it is costing his municipality 513,000 in bank interest to pay taxes four times a year, because Wingham does not collect taxes four times a year. "It's saving us a great deal," said chairman Wallace, "As a point of interest - will you be increasing staff (for special education) or will you be retrieving existing staff? Will it be necessary to hire specialized staff?" asked Mr. Currie. "Wherever possible we will use existing staff," replied Mr. Cochrane. Ofthe total elementary budget, the province will pay 67.8 per cent and local taxpayers 32.2 per cent. In 1975, the province's share was 75.7 per cent and the taxpayers was 24 per cent, The total secondary budget has the province paying 65.4 per cent and the local taxpayers • 34.6 per cent. In 1975, the province paid 69.9 per cent and the local: taxpayers 21.7 percent. In each case, the 1975 percentage given above does not include the percentage paid through tuitions. and miscellaneous grants. The requisition for each municipality was not available at the meeting, but is expected to be ready by the end of the week. agriculture development". The act looks at the need to improve farm pollution abatement • standards through financia:' and technical assistance, and it offers protection for food lands. The brief referred to problems farmers. have been having, with pipelines lately, and suggested amendments be made to the Ontario Energy Board Act. "We strongly recommend that a pipeline be redefined. It should include water and similar substances." Right now, by defini- tion, a pipeline carries only hydrocarbons. The briet also recommended changes in the Expropriation Act. The act should "provide affected landowners the choice 'of accepting corj ensation for the market value of the land, either in a lump sum or as an annual rental payment". 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