HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1994-05-25, Page 1PUBLISHED IN
LUCKNOW, ONTARIO
Wednesday,
May 25, 1994
55�
Q.S.T. Included
No increase in school
taxes; don't expect
the same next year
Bruce taxpayers will not see an
increase in their school taxes this
year, but clear warning has .already
been given that the board won't.be
able to hold the line again in 1995.
For the second year in a row, the
Bruce County Board of Education
has set a zero per cent increase in
the mill rale. But this year, a $1:13
million transfer from reserve funds
was used to cushion what was
originally set as a 2.7 Per cent tax
hike.
The 1994 budget of $70,892,117
is down 3.3 per cent from last year,
due largely to the social contract
and a 4.8 per cent cut in provincial
grant. The budget approved Tues -
clay, May 17, was up slightly. from
The. previous week's draft budget.
Earlier, trustees debated the im-
pact Of cuts to school budgets; plant
operations and. equipment budgets
as ,proposed m the draft version.
The final version reversed those
cuts, and .took an extra $300,000
from reserves to cover the expense
of that move.
• That dip into the reserve fund
also eliminated the need for the .9
per tax hike predicted .on May
10. .
"That ability to- use' reserves -is
dwindling," said finance chair.Allan
Mackay. "We still have reserves,
we just have less than wehad
befo.rc:"
Mackay predicted the province
will continue to cut education,
grants, and said the lack •of ade-
quate reserve funds will strain the
board's ability to keep tax increases
low.
"We won't be able to hold the
line at zero in 1995. There's no
question about that," he said.
The board had $1.285 million in
contingency reserves and $1.5 mil-
lion in working fund reserves as of
December 1993. The $1.13 million
transfer approved in the May 17
budget comes from contingency
reserves.
"I'm a little nervous that maybe
we've gone too•far," said trustee
Alvin Thompson. "Maybe the tax-
payer could have accepted a small
increase this year to cushion a great
big one next year."
But trustee Frank Eagleson
pointed to statistics on family in-
comes and said the board had "no
other choice" except a zero
increase.
"How could we ever expect
families to pay more' on their tax
.bill?" Eagleson asked.
The budget is based on enrolment
figures that predict 270 fewer
students in September 1994 than in
last September.
"That will probably result in a
shrinkage of 25-30 employees,"
Mackay said. t
He called the job loss "unfo-
rtunate", but suggested motet of the
reduction will 'come from. attrition.
The Bruce board has over 1,000
employees now,
Sam Johnston was one of 105 children who were processed
through the KId's Check program last Saturday, that was part
of the Western Days events. Pam Bell Is shown taking Sam's
finger prints. (Pat Livingston photo)
•
Brent Scott and his team of horses were kept busy last Saturday giving rides in his replica stage
coach. The Scotts have been an integral part of Lucknow's Western Days In the past and the free
rides proved to be a draw to both young and not so young; (Pat Livingston photo)
OMB hearin
KINLOSS TOWNSHIP - Council
has been informed that a tentatiye
Ontario Municipal Board hearing
has been set for Aug. 3 regarding
Donegan Haulage,"
The ratepayers committee will be
advised to be prepared to give their
evlidence en that date.
A delegation corQ prised of Steven
and Elaine Deisle, Mark Kirkby
and Crystal Steffen attended the
May 16 -meeting of council to. dis-
'cuss the committee's proposal for
the Whitechurch Ball Park. An
. est 1 fished .committee has raised
$625 from area residents to proceed.
with repairs, using volunteer labor,
and new equipment./
Council matched the amount
($625) and agreed to contribute
date set
$10.0 per annum for maintenance of
• the equipment and property for the
local children in the surrounding
area.
..Council approved application to
the, Ministry of Transportation -On-
tario for i supplementary funding in
a revised amount of 81.45,000, 01 .
which 81 10,000 is, for a •new 1994
tandem dunip truck with sander box"
and snowplow cyuipment, and
535,000 for bridge repairs on
Sidcroad 25.
Henry Clark, road superintendent,
• reviewed his proposed road•budget
for the year. Council ,adopted the
bu get of $256,500 for maintenance
and $193,500 for construction.
Three draft applications for the
infrastructure funding will be
prepared for the 'council to review
at the next meeting.
Correspondence received from Art
Clark, , drainage superintendent,,
indicates that the township has no .
obligation at this time with respect
to the Drainage Act as it applies to
the Gary Palmer property. Also, the -
municipality is not under any legal
obligation to provide a culvert
through the road in this particular
instance. ..
Council was informed of a
proposed temporary rezoning of
Noah Brubacher's property, for a
parochial school for 'the local Men-
nonite children, for a period of
three years. •
Three applications for building
•see Support, page 2 1
Discuss sharing of landfill sites
by Bev Fry
It will be June before anyone will
know whether Bruce County resi-
dents are in favor'of sharing landfill
sites between county municipalities,
or whether a new county site should
-be looked at.
Thursday night, the last of three
public meetings to discuss the ques-
tion, was held at Sutton Park in
Kincardine. About 17 people were
present. Most of them were area
councillors as well as members of
the Bruce County waste manage-
ment steering committee and the
public liaison committee.
Tuesday night, 40 people attended
a meeting in Sauble Beach and
about the same number were at a
meeting in Walkerton Wednesday
night.
At Thursday's meeting Barry
Randall, waste management consul-
tant for Bruce County introduced
Dave Merriman of MacViro Con-
sultants, who spoke about the
advantages and disadvantages of
sharing landfill sites. He said there
is a lot of capacity in the existing
landfill sites in the county.
"About 80 per' cent (garbage) is
going to landfill sites, the other 15-
25 percent is being diverted," he
said.
The exception is Kincardind,
where Merriman said about 50 per
cent of the municipality's garbage
is diverted. ,
"The bag /tag system is what
made the diversion system work ...
when you hit the taxpayers in the
pocketbook ... the rest of Bruce has
a long wjuo go.
He compared landfill sites to cars.
"Brand new cars are a lot safer
than an older car. Regulators assess
. a minimum standard of safety for
automobiles. The Ministry of Envi-
ronment regulates landfill sites. An
engineered new site has a lot more
features to make the site safer."
He said shared existing landfill
sites would defer the high cost of a
new site and would defer the social
impact of a county -wide landfill site'
search. It . would also create the
incentive for communities to divert
more of their garbage for recycling.
"Having a gun to your head is a
way to make people recycle more."
He added, "if we shared capacity
• •see New, page 2
JK coming to Bruce
Junior kindergarten is coming to
four schools in September, in spite
of a long battle by the Bruce Coun-
ty Board of Education against the
provincially ordered program.
Education issues chair Jennifer
Yenssen said the board didits best
to fight against junior kindergarten,
hut lost this month when the
province ordered a phase-in of the
program.
Chair Barry Schmidt said the
board could have been faced, with
paying "in lieu" if it didn't comply
with that order.
Chesley Public, Elgin Market in
Kincardine, Mildmay -Carrick and
St. Edmunds in Tobermory were
chosen as pilot. projects.
Yenssen said those schools were
picked because space is available
and no new staff will be required.
"It's considered cost neutral to the
board," Yenssen said, noting there
was no provision for junior kinder-
garten in the 1994 budget.
"That's Utopia,' retorted trustee
Ray Fenton. "It's cost effective the•
way we're doing it, but we must
have funding for those students. It's
a new program."
While some trustees applauded a
pilot project that will give junior
•see Trustee, page 2