HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-11-19, Page 1VOL. 133 WK. 47
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19,1997
65' INCLUDES G.S.T.
Taxp ay
a huge lnoroase.
ould facp
by Pat Livingston
• Based on projected figures from the:
county of Bruceothe impact on Lucknow
from downloading by the province, under
the Who Does What legislation, could
refieet quite .an inereasein taxes, says
Reeve :Stuart 'Reavie, .unless some other
alternatives are found.
After figuring out the impact on the
county from downloading, ttiosc figures
were then,,proportioned',out to the •county
municipalities. The village 'ofLucknow' is ,
looking at additional expenditures of
$213,193, says Reavie.
' "The thing• with this Who Does What
is it ,is supposed to be revenue neutral;
but in order for.•it to be revenue neutral
we are supposed to get •S0. percent of the
•education taxes collected from'the
,municipality:.;After deducting that S0'.per
cent ($120,937), 'there,;is. still a shortfall
of $92,256.,,
Reavie said the provincial: government
is•"supposedly going to create Some sort
of mechanism 'where we•can claim that
$92,256 back: " '.
But, where it really hurts said Reavie
the loss of municipal block funding. In
1997 the .village received .$140,476 that'
was •;an:,unconditional • grant, to be 'used
where:wanted. 'Conte 1998 we are not to
receive that," Reavie'said;
In addition the county received a $2,3 .
million block funding, with :Lucknow
receiving $29,712 of that, and highway
transfers from the province down .through
the county amounted to $5,435. `
Irl . total . that means the village comes
up, short $173,623: •
The figures are • based :on last year's
.g
budgets withno increases. ' .
Based on the •villageld assessment
'the $1:75,623 could mean, an ,inctease of
$15.66 .per $1,00(7 assessment. On a
home assessed at' $12,000 for example,
there'is a'potential of 'a $187.92 increase.
on taxes.
"It's quite an• increase," said Reavie.
,,What do we do7,,...
Thealternatives are to raise taxes or
decrease' services,
"We.did about $100;000 worth of cion-
struction this year," said Reavie. "We
could probably reduce the impact of the
tax increase by about half if we. didn't do
any construction, but that: wo.uldn't..be• a:
wise; thing to do. We are certainly going
tohave to do something, but .it certainly
isn't a wise idea to let your'town deterio-
rate."
Retie. said they want some action`
from : the government. "It's unreasonable
for=the ;provincial government to sayto
the:village: of Lucknow that you're look-
ing at such a huge increase: Even with
restructuring .we -are not going to achieve
what they're looking. for to ;make' this.
thing work
"It's ,maybe Just the start of long nego-
tiations with the ;province to try and get
back some of this unconditronalblock.
funding. I: don't think ••any-.munieipality
• can surviVe.
Reavie said citizens, should- look at this
a:s a "wake up call:. Maybe: they: should
phone their member of parliament and
ask if :they think it fair to download 'all
..their expenses.
Reavie said.'.the figures' were
'sent
county's
sent to Barb Fisher,. MPP, "but as;,of
terday.(Thursday) there was no reply We
hope shell come aback with :some alterna-.
live to make them look a little better. :In
the tneantirt e'this `is what''t.h na coin' -tyis
,.
Iookan"g .af an
' .Luckn'ow:"
l y Pat' klalpin'•
Elementary school
teachers have. a' new con
tract .With the BrUce
County • : Board . " of
Education:
"It took two .and a half
years to;get; thtS,agree-:
r.nent,'.,said negotiating
Chair'Dett-Stoba about the.
three-yeardeal .ratified, aC
the board's;November•
nteeting.-•Sltrw progress. in.
talks. between teachers'
and the board led :to the
appointment o(a ,fact -
finder e
'fact-finderearlier this fail
" A joint news `release
from the boa rd , and the;
two federations represent
ing .elementary ;teachers,
dated Oct: 23, saysthe:
contract restores one.
increment: lost during the
social .contract:' It.:also;
gives teachers a two per
cent^salary. grid increase
on 'March 1 o1 next year,
followed by a one per
cent •tncre•ase on Aug.- 31
`The grid increases are
offset 'by significant say-
ings," Stobo -sa :d,' point
ing. out that elementary
teachers have agreed' to
assume •100 per cent` of
the: Cost of their long:Cerin:
disability' insurance.
,'This, is, a''very .costly
Y
item' for our board; he
said, estimating:savin;gs-
Of'about..$173,000 a year:.
`Teachers have also agreed
'to -Jake one unpaid leave
'day; 'and have•withdravyri;
three grievan:ces against
the,, board
The 'new contract `is:
• retroactive to September
•=1',995' and. 'runs until`
Ati'gust 1998. Under the,
old contract, •elementary
teacher salaries ranged
from .$2.7,204 to $62,800.;
Because of : the
province -wide strike, no
teachers were availab,le
for comment. at •the .meet
i ng.
During this pre -Christmas season, bazaars
become an important event for • local' organiza-
tions. On Saturday, Adam Vanderveen served
coffee ,to Marianna Porter at the Lucknow
Presbyterian Church bazaar and soup and
sandwich day. (Livingston photo)
liOdeQ
.ate
confinn€
• 'I'eresa'llolst and her.
rodeo coniinittee' are'
breathing a little easier:'
this week They have the
date c'nfrrnme`cl fir tiici
"LuCknnw 5cpc�y
Stampeck.
„
So book next Aug., 29`
and 3 and tell vt
friends' and re ative'sur
distanecM.
Lucknow is the tilace to',.
he to check out call rap
ting, bareback ridixng,
Barrel racing., saddlc;.
br€rt�c, steer wrestlin ,:
rop16g, bull riding,
# tlktton bu t n ,COWgirl,.
ea.
by Pat Liivingstan tional Gibson. "Please • after he..read the Bill,, "I
Through a<.forum last accept the challenge.•.We'l1 . began to see the..amount of
week,' area parents and help you" • :.regulatory � ower
to dis-acher '•
scan rnued
t to Jim Reed, �Wi`
R , a . ngham • ' bestowed u oti �. `'old all ��
,p ,P � ,Y•.;
perse information to, the parent, who:: is a member appointed bureaucrats "'
.public. on Bil1,160, An Act:,. :of •a proviici:al parents' The -Bill basicall ivies ;
to Reform the. Education • o.rg_anization'_and r:h'o zero`: iii tY Iz school
System The •Bill, worked for . the, boards, and parents' coon
•described by * Jennifer .•- Conservatives the last • ''cils All:control° resides in
•
Ye.nssen, incoming pu:blic provincial], electi;on,was the,Education
sc,h,00l board :trustee, as the guest speaker. ImprovemenCommission
"full of legalese. and/. and ;'that power
long. and difficult %•
!'Ne
iter solution
tt�aul �► ' to strengthen
schooloa; ds and
give the • more power
is forever: until.
to digest°', contains d some governMany areas of eOn- -
meat' decades to
cern forteachers
cause upheaval..
and some'parents. The]letter sol.u,
'George Gibson,Jim tion would' be to
Reed ':. .
a `local resident and .streng then, school
..g
highschool teacher,;; said :' `A, `panel consisted of boards and give ;them
teachers, have: "very little' Sheila Clarkes , more power.
left to ive: in the fight teacherllibrarian at Reed said the govern- .•
against :Bill 160. They Brookside Public:School, ment hastaken, a deceitful.
• need the support of par and Brent.C'ameron, a stuapproach:in Bill 160.
ents in the battle. to, stop dent•trustee at the, board of "Theproblem with Bill
13111,160 which will erode education 166 is it ,doesn't deal with.
the education system, giv "There's a miscoticep- ; improving the quality.' of;
ing all the power to the tion that I'm` biased 'in education..It's all about
city:, beattracrats ,who .will . favor of the teachers'," said . collecting taxes:",
' m g:ake decisions, leavin� ::Reed, "I wasn't: in`favor of Reeds aid `the,clause-.
th'e rural areas 'with . no the walkout; I didn't sup- by -clause reading of Bill
control. • port it.-:1.felt, the. walkout` 160 in the legislature will . .
"Teachers cannot carry . would threaten the school.':. be a farce likeniri ` the
• this fight against what.. year;forchildren." speed :with which the
, most of, us consider unjust; However, Reed, said, as : clauses will be readto that;
legislation.. said to ern°- the teachers 'persisted and ' •see 'Reading' gage 2