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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-03-16, Page 6Page'6 — Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, March 16, 1994 $2.5 million axed fro by Don Jackson CLINTON - The Huron County Board of Education (HCBE) met into the wee hours of the morning last week to find a whopping $2.5 million in cuts from their budget. The seven -hour task began Wed- nesday evening with an overhead computer screen with a $2.5 mil- lion total at the bottom. Items were added to the list .along with projected savings and impact on spending. The subtotal grew as more items were added and the board committed itself to staying in session until the 'magic num- ber' was achieved. HCBE Chair Graeme Craig made opening statements explaining to the trustees what their task was, advising them to keep in mind the impact on students and staff and warning them, "Even if we find success tonight, there's. still going to be more to come." • At many previous board meetings where the budget has Come up, it has been noted, that wages account for roughly 80 per cent of board expenditures and operating. costs make up roughly 20 per cent. The board seemed determined to take as much as possible out of the operating expenses before. touching that 80 per cent which goes to , salaries. Chair Craig referred to the need, to look at this side of the expenditures at the onset of the meeting, telling trus- tees that to tind success, they would have to deal with the 80 per cent side. Items slated for cuts are: • The elementary formula budget (formula budget is for paper, pens, photocopy paper, library resour- ces, band-aids. etc.) • The secondary formula budget • The secondary co-op education -`program • Elementary capital - Junior Kindergarten • Other elementary capital • Vanastra Public School renovations • Goderich District Collegiate Institute renovations (mechanical/ electrical) . • • Summer school transportation • Elementary furniture and equip- ment • Secondary furniture and equip- ment • Elementary ,special education plant • Secondary special education plant to Elementary maintenance equip- ' ment • Secondary maintenance equip- ment • Curric.ulum and professional development The points referring to elemen- tary capital refer to the local share of spending required in these areas to match funding from .. we province. Rather than paying the local share out .of the board's budget, they will spend reserve s. „yip" sem' Serving children with . physical disabilities • since 1922 LUCKNOW DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTRE • Lions Bingo Sunday, March, 20/94 Saturday, April 2,'94 Yuk Yuk's OPEN DATES March Friday 18-25 Saturday 19-26 April ` Friday 1-8-22-29 Saturday 9-I6-23-30 "ONLY" CALL .528-3532 • 9 a:in.• - 5 p.m. Rl\ I117CF presents North America's Only Championship. Fiddle Team Graham & Eleanor Townsend Gray Townsend, Jr. & The Boys from the Bruce Sunday, April 10, 1994 2:30 p.m. ESlytn Men+or•411:,,,iurnly H.ui lot. Advance. 8'5, Al the Door 820 Myth F u.,tro41 Eton Office 519 523 9:106 ADVANCE 11CKE i 5 AVAIL AEll.E Al, R11 9waler Office t 4uipn+ent Wnu;haln 357 1554 Crossroads. Clinton 492 5855 Campbells Godeucn 524, 7532 NO GST m budget funds on elementary capital and reduce their budget expenditures. Once the operations side of the budget wasexhausted the board went to an in -camera private session to discuss possible wage reductions for board employees. At this tittle, the total cuts had reached roughly $1.5 million. Although board officials are unable to make public possible wage reductions until' consulting with various unions, federations and bargaining units, HCBE Director Paul Carroll did state that, if the board decided to implement a ,flat wage reduction for all board employees, every per cent they reduced from salaries equalled about $280,000. If they chose to make up the remaining $1 million by such a flat reduc- tion, the result would be a wage reduction of roughly four per cent for all board employees. Carroll explained the impact of the cuts made on Wednesday. His main point was that the board has reached their goal of a zero per cent increase on the mill rate from the board. This does not take into account possible increases by the province into the standard • mill rate or decreases in provincial transfers to the local school boards. The standard mill rate is the device the province uses .to calculate what proportion of spen- ding per pupil will be done by the provincial dollars and whatshare will come from local taxpayers. . "There will bei no property tax increase,. as far as the board is concerned," said Carroll. Combined cuts which include the Social Contract Act, provincial downloading through the standard mill rate, reduced or frozen grants and the board's own expenditure reductions have brought the budget down significantly from where it was expected to be two years ago'. Carrollsaid the budget was down to $60.5 million from what 'would have been $66.5 million "in normal circumstances:" He said that while the impact on programs will not be sever and that students will not notice many changes, "You can't take that much out of the system without some impact," Glenn.Lamb, financial services administrator for the HCBE, es- timated the provincial transfers and the standard mill rate will be announcedsometime between the end of March and middle of April. Any changes made at the provincial level will likely go directly on property tax bills un- less the board decides to hold another roundof reductions and add to the already deep cuts. 11 NE ARI AND STROKE FOUNDATION • 1f h)NLieu) FONDA' ON t)LS MAIALNES DU <IR.Ul1 DI 1 ONTARIO IMPROVING YOUR ODDS AGAINST CANADA'S #1 KILLER. AUGMENTANT VOS CHANCES DE LUTTER CONTRE LE TUEUR NUMERO1 AU CANADA. NO PS Richard Askes, of Lucknow Home Hardware, is in the process of completing renovations in his store to provide more display space for paint and hardware, and keep those products more centralized. (Rat Livingston photo) . Renovations result in , more display space by Pat Livingston The "Home of the Handyman" is getting handier. _ Richard Askes, of Lucknow Home Hardware,' has been renovating his store to provide -more display ,• space for paint and hardware, and keep those products more centralized. The'former small office located at the rear of the store was demolished resulting in an additional 120 square feet df display area. Richard says "It will also allbw more room between the islands, making it more convenient for shoppers." . A larger'. office space ,has been incorporated an the lower leveol of the store. Changes are still in the works and Richard hopes to have it all ac- complished within the next two months. These . changes centre around the internal layout of sec - BUSINESS BEAT vismi tions of the store aimed at making it more consumer friendly. Commenting on economic con- ditions, Richard says, It's hard to predict. We experience up and . down cycles, with even the yearly - cycles differing." This November, Richard and) Dixie will celebrate their 10th an- niversary as owners of the bU iJi iss.: They purchased the business from Ron and Barbara Machan- who owned it from. 1969 until 1984. The building housing Lucknow Home Hardwarewas, built in 1965, after the Crest Hardware location, then owned by Charlie Webster and Donald MacKinnon, was destroyed. by fire in December of 1964. Nominations.sought for good citizenship awards Nominations are now being ac- cepted for candidates for the 1994. Ontario Medal for . Good Citizen- -Ship. Each year the province pays tribute to .12 individuals who have contributed, through ongoing acts of selflessness, humanity and kindness, to the well-being of their com- munity and. fellow Ontarians. ' This . medal honors individuals who have taken the time to respond voluntarily to the needs of their neighbors and of their communities. their outstanding contributions have been made over a long period of time with no expectation of reward, and often at personal sacrifice and expense. Since it was established in 197.3,.,258 men and women have received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. • ON ENTIRE INVENTORY OF FURNITURE, ALL SOFA BEDS ALL BUNK BEDS, ALL DINETTES, ALL MATTRESSES • THE ENTIRE STOCK! GREYFAIR win pay GST/PST for you ' "e ave `"- owes prices n own • "e uaran ee . IJNI 11 F) (;AI tl'F i REYFAIR Furniture tripet ltd. OWEN SOUND 762 2nd Ave E. 371-2151 64 WIARTON 612 Berford St. 534-3320 PORT ELGIN Furniture Boys 574 Goderich St., 389-4454 Any person or organization may .• submit a nomination. The nominations will be reviewed by an Advisory Council which will submit a list . of the 12 most deserving nominees' to the Lieutenant -Gover- nor of Ontario. The Lieutenant- ' Governor will. present the' medals to the recipients at a special ceremony at the Ontario Legislature on June 30, 1994. Persons wishing to nominate someone for the 1994 Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship may 'obtain nomination forms by contac- ting: Ontario Honours and Awards Section, Ontario ' Ministry of, Citizenship, 77 Bloor Street West, 1. 15th Floor, Toronto,. Ontario M7A 2R9. Tel: (416) 314-7528, TDD; (416) . 314-7830. 'Deadline for nominations is Tuesday, March 15: Persons' nominations now being accepted Nominations .are now being ac- cepted for , the 1994 Governor General's Awards in com- memoration of the Persons Case. The annual awards recognize longstanding and substantial contributions made by individuals" towards promoting the equality of women in Canada. Initiated in 1979 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Persons Case, the awards commemorate the lengthy political and* legal effort waged by Canadian worsen, which culminated in the decision rendered by the British Privy Council on Oct. 18, 1929, declaring Canadian women to be persons and thus eligible for appointment to the Senate. The Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case are presented in a ceremony held in Ottawa. The deadline far the submission of nominations is May 15. For more -information about the awards selection criteria and. nomination procedure contact: ,, Governor General's,- Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case, communications Directorate, Status of Women Canada, Suite 700, 360 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario. K1A 1C3, telephone (613) 995-7835, TDD (613) 996-1322. •