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The Citizen, 1992-03-25, Page 1News Sports Celebration Entertainmentj \ Belgrave woman named Pres, of Nurses Assoc. See page 3 Brussels Bulls' manager resigns See page 13 Dungannon to host West Wawanosh homecoming See page 19 Bluevale youth to perform at Charlottetown Fest. See page 22 C> •ltizen The North Huron County may cut discretionary grants Vol. 8 No. 12 Wednesday, March 25,1992 60 cents If Huron County Councillors remained adamant on reaching a 5.5 per cent increase when they dis­ cussed their 1992 budget Tuesday night in Goderich then they may have to cut grants to local fall fairs, and events such as the Blyth Festi­ val and educational scholarships. That recommendation is con­ tained in a report of the executive committee of council which drafted the latest budget proposal at a meeting March 19. The executive committee had already recom­ mended cutting a total of $80,400 from everything from a $1500 sav­ ing on the Warden's Banquet to $40,000 for the purchase of a com­ puter to a $12,000 reduction in Lourism promotion and economic development. With those cuts the proposed budget would still be up 6.3 per cent over last year, with most of the increase caused by higher welfare costs. Bd. of Ed. foresees 4 to 6% increase Getting into the game Little Kirsten Sjaarda of Belgrave, discovered the ring toss game at Blyth Christian Reformed Church’s Spring Bazaar wasn't so tough when you got right down to it. There was an excellent turnout for the bazaar, with many activities for young and old to enjoy. Kirsten's the daughter of Brenda and Bert Sjaarda and the granddaughter of Bob and Rene Richmond of Brussels. Policing may cost rural people Rural Ontario residents could be hit with a bill for policing they now receive for free, Hullett Reeve Tom Cunningham warned last week after returning from a meeting of the Rural Section of the Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). Reeve Cunningham, a past presi­ dent of ROMA, said he was con­ cerned by what he learned at the meeting. Ontario Municipal Asso­ ciation (AMO) staff. AMO has learned that the provincial govern­ ment is preparing legislation that would charge a fee of $350 per household to all municipalities receiving Ontario Provincial Police service effective Jan. 1, 1993. "My immediate reaction was that I was horrified," Reeve Cunning­ ham said. He said he was shocked to think the government might go ahead with such legislation without at least setting up a committee of smaller municipalities to show how such a change would effect local taxes. Reeve Cunningham had earlier heard of a proposal to charge municipalities $100 per person for policing and had worked with four area municipalities (Blyth, Hullett, Tuckersmith and Stephen) to show the effect on local expenses. The four municipalities all showed such a charge would drive taxes up 38- 40 per cent, he said. A report that drew headlines in major urban municipalities last week showed how "free" O.P.P. policing to communities in Ontario costs the provincial treasury $100 million a year. Twenty-one munici­ palities contract the O.P.P. to pro­ vide services that a municipal police force would ordinarily per­ form but three of these, Wiarton, Tweed and Cardinal, are now with­ holding payment because they feel they're being asked to pay for policing others are getting for free. Forty-seven of these municipali­ ties have a population of 5000 or more but the vast percentage of the municipalities that receive O.P.P. coverage, are small towns, villages and rural townships which receive sporadic patrols. O.P.P. policing began in most communities when municipalities were judged loo small to support their own police force. Municipali­ ties who had a part-time village constable had their forces disband­ ed and O.P.P. took over policing. The study released last week was presented to the Solicitor General's ministry in February. The policing issue is just part of the "disentanglement" process being negotiated between the province and municipalities to redraw the lines of which level of government pays for what. Present­ ly, for instance, the province pays 80 per cent of the cost of welfare while the municipalities pay 20 per cent while the province contributes toward upkeep of local roads, although the responsibility lies with the municipality. Reeve Cunningham worries that small rural municipalities will be hurt by the process but will get no support from cities and regions which stand to gain millions. Even AMO, split between large munici­ palities and smaller ones, he feels may not stand up for the smaller ones. The trustees of the Huron County Board of Education had the oppor­ tunity to discuss preliminary bud­ get estimates at a special meeting on Monday, March 23. In presenting the estimates to the board, Director of Education Bob Allen said the meeting was called to provide an overview of the expenditure estimates for 1992. The Ministry of Education had released the General Legislative Grants on Friday, March 13, he said, which are very positive and helpful to Huron County. The annual average shows an adjust­ ment of 3.4 per cent on both the elementary and secondary panels. “We were well pleased as far as the ceiling grants are concerned,” he said. However, Mr. Allen said, what the board gets on one hand they will lose in the other as the province's standardized mill rate paints a very negative and discour­ aging picture for the county. This figure is based on growth and infla­ tion. Huron gets hurt, Mr. Allen said, because they don't have the provincial growth. This mill rate for the county almost entirely off­ sets the ceiling grants, he explained. The final budget process is being slowed due to the fact that the board has not yet received the province's equalization factor. This is a mathematical number provided by the Ministry of Education and applied to the municipalities to level assessment across the province, so countries are treated fairly. As Huron has been going through a re-evaluation of the mar­ ket assessment, the equalization factor has been held back. Mr. Allen said they have been told they could expect to receive it in mid to late March. Without it, he said, he can only guess at the impact on county dol­ lars that this year's education bud­ get will have. By using last year's assessment against equalization factor the board will need two per cent from the ratepayers. Another three per cent is needed for monies requisitioned in 1991. “I want to re­ emphasize that this is a guess, but it appears the total county increase could be between four and six per cent. Trustee John Jewitt said that the ratepayers can't take an increase that high. “I don't think we can go to the people who are suffering out there and ask them for that much more.” Trustee Don McDonald agreed with Mr. Jewitt, adding however, that without all the infor­ mation it is premature to reject the estimates. “I agree with John,” said trustee Norm Pickell. “If this is coming anywhere close to the right figure I think we are going to have to start cutting from the budget.” Janet Baird-Jackson, Business Administrator, warned the trustees that they will have to start looking continued on page 18 Man learns crime doesn 't pay You've got to wonder if it was worth it. An unemployed Blyth man was hit with a $500 fine in Wingham's provincial court on March 18 for having $40 worth of stolen proper­ ty in his possession. According to crown attorney Dick Lockwood, Constables Alexander and Dore from the Wingham OPP searched the apart­ ment of Joesph Whitton on January 29 and discovered kitchen utensils, cookware and tupperware that had been taken from 499 Queen St. dur­ ing the first week of January. In a written statement to the police, Mr. Whitton said the two people who went into the place asked him what he wanted, so he suggested a split. He was notified by a friend that the police were coming to search his place and tried to hide the items. When asked by Judge J.M. Seneshen if he had anything to say before sentencing Mr. Whitton replied, "No, everything's been said." Judge Seneshen ordered Mr. Whitton to pay $500 or spend three months in jail with a surcharge of $75 or 10 days in jail. Mr. Whitton was given until May 29 to pay. Later David Bell, 18, of Blyth appeared before Judge Seneshen on a charge of breaking into Mr. Whit­ ton's apartment in February. "Trying to keep it all in the fami­ ly, I guess," said Judge Seneshen, sardonically. The matter was put off until April 15.