HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-05-27, Page 1News________1______Sports History
Walton-area firm
designs and builds
giant compost processor
Brussels Tigers
on a roll with
5 and 0 season start
See page 7 See page 11
Century farm holds
many memories for
Brussels-area couple
See page 14
Citizen
Vol. 8 No. 21
The North Huron
Wednesday, May 27, 1992 60 cents
’91 deficit affects Blyth budget
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL-POT
Faced with a $3,460 deficit from
1991, Blyth council is looking at
raising taxes 3.9 per cent for 1992.
Blyth councillors reviewed both
the 1991 Consolidated Financial
Report and the proposed 1992 bud
get at their May 19 meeting.
The financial report was accepted
but councillors deferred passing the
proposed budget until their next
meeting so they could have more
time to review it.
Paul Seebach of Vodden, Bender
and Seebach, the village auditors,
presented the 1991 financial report
saying "the bottom line is you have
a deficit of $3,460."
Blyth clerk Helen Grubb accred
ited this to Blyth Memorial Hall.
"Memorial Hall caused the prob
lem because rentals come nowhere
close to offsetting expenses," she
said. "Hall rentals used to cover the
caretaking and supply costs but
don't anymore."
The statement reveals Memorial
Hall rentals were only $5,203 in
1991 compared to $9,515 in 1990.
However, costs went up to $35,159
from $21,648 in 1990 which
required the village pay $29,606 in
1991, up from $12,133 in 1990.
Except for Blyth Memorial Hall,
no other department went over bud
get in 1991 even though many pro
jects were undertaken last year,
said Ms. Grubb.
Some of the big expenses budget
ed for in 1991 included office reno
vations and equipment totalling
$31,610, the installation of a
$10,332 computer system in the
town office, the purchase of a
$11,913 fire truck, construction on
Morris St. at a cost of $96,144,
street lighting at $30,272, a
$39,197 tractor for garbage dispos
al and services and library renova
tions at a cost of $30,510.
Fewer projects are being planned
for 1992, said Ms. Grubb.
"There's nothing fancy in the
1992 budget," she told councillors
Tuesday night. "We worked very
hard to make it tight and I don’t
think there's any project in the bud
get that we can't do."
Councillor Steve Sparling
agreed.
"This is a pretty vanilla budget. I
don't see any place where it can be
reduced."
Along with a scaling down of
proposed projects, the projected
incoming revenue is also lower.
In preparing the proposed budget,
it was estimated total revenue for
general purposes would be
$542,645 compared to $684,482 in
1991. This is largely due to a
decrease in PRIDE grants and used
up reserves.
"The revenue is down and we
have to be prepared to spend less
money," said Mr. Sparling.
Though they are planning to
spend less money by estimating
expenditures at $539,185, com
pared to $733,779 last year, the
budget is also proposing a mill rate
increase of 3.93 per cent.
The projected increase is the low
est that's been put forth in the past
four years. Last year, it was 10.4
per cent, in 1990 it was 4.7 per cent
and is 1989 it was 10.9 per cent.
If council passes the 3.9 per cent
mill rate, it means 15 per cent of
total revenue comes from the vil
lage. The remaining revenue comes
from telephone taxation ($9,200),
supplementary ($2,000), payments
in lieu of taxes ($9,700), Ontario
grants ($226,203) and other rev
enue ($51,611.)
Hall costs worry Blyth councillors
Touchdown
It's that time of year at area schools when students run,
leap and jump at the chance to compete in track and field
events. Sandy Walsh, a student at Blyth Public School
goes the distance in her shot at the runing long jump
during that school's track and field meet last week. The
winners from Blyth will move on to the regional meet in
Seaforth May 27.
Track athletes advance to
regional meet in Toronto
Two area track and field athletes
have qualified to compete at the
OFSAA regionals in Toronto this
weekend.
Sherry Taylor of RR 5, Wingham
qualified for OFSAA by placing
fourth in the midget girl's shot put
at the WOSSA competition held
last week in St. Thomas. Her throw
was 9.43 metres.
The F.E. Madill student also
competed in the midget girl's discus
event and came fifth.
The other athlete advancing to
OFSAA is Kara-Lee Potter of Lon-
desboro who ran the senior girl's
3000 metre race in 11.42 seconds
placing fourth.
Miss Potter, who attends Central
Huron Secondary School, also did
well in the 1500 metre race at
WOSSA.
CHSS coach Larry Powell said
Miss Potter is "very self-disciplined
and has a high motivation level.
She's an excellent role model to the
rest of the team."
Though no other local athletes
made it to the OFSAA regionals,
many did well at the WOSSA com
petition.
CHSS student Rick Howson of
Blyth finished in the top 10 in both
continued on page 11
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL-POT
Soaring costs and decreased rev
enues at Blyth Memorial Hall is
worrying Blyth councillors who
say they could save a lot of money
by closing it up.
"If you look at the hall as a busi
ness, you’d consider closing it
Belgrave
youth hurt
in crash
A Belgrave youth was one of
four boys injured in a single vehicle
accident near the Pine River
Cheese Factory on Highway 21 last
week.
David McKee, 18, and Glenn
Congram, 19, of Wroxeter were
taken to Wingham and District
Hospital and have since been
released.
William McGrath, 20, of Wing
ham and Kenneth Wheeler, 20, of
Wroxeter were taken to Kincardine
Hospital. Mr. McGrath was later
transferred to Victoria Hospital and
Mr. Wheeler to University Hospital
where they remain in critical condi
tion.
According to Kincardine OPP the
accident occurred at 4:15 a.m. The
vehicle left the road, rolled over
and caught fire. Their investigation
is continuing.
because you can't run a business
when the costs are more than the
income," said Blyth Reeve Dave
Lee at Tuesday night's regular
meeting of council.
Though he was quick to say
council wasn't planning on closing
the hall, there was some specula
tion among councillors on what
would have to be done to reduce
the hall's drain on municipal taxes.
"The cost of rental will have to
more accurately reflect our cost,"
stated Councillor Steve Sparling.
"We have to find a balance," said
Mr. Lee. "We can't rate ourself out
of the market but our current rate
doesn't cut the mustard."
Currently, the town only charges
local and non-profit groups $15 a
night for the basement, $135 for the
basement, kitchen and auditorium
and $55 for the auditorium alone.
Non-local or profit-making groups
are charged $50 for the basement,
$75 for the basement and kitchen,
$175 for the kitchen, basement and
auditorium and $100 for the audito
rium.
Councillor Shirley Fyfe suggest
ed the $255 per week cleaning cost
could be reduced.
The discussion about Memorial
Hall arose while Paul Seebach of
Vodden, Bender and Seebach char
tered accountants presented the Vil
lage's 1991 Consolidated Financial
Report.
The report revealed hall expendi
tures were up $13,511 from 1990
for a total cost of $35,159.
Where costs rose, revenue did
not. Rentals brought in only $5,203
in 1991 compared to $9,515 in
1990. This meant the Village had to
contribute $29,606 to the hall for it
to break even.
"Something is very wrong here,"
said Councillor John Elliott at the
meeting while reviewing the hall
expenditures.
He was especially shocked by the
dramatic increase in heat and utility
costs which rose from $8,737 in
1990 to $12,412 in 1991.
Councillor Fyfe, who sits on the
hall board, agreed with Mr. Elliott
but said the board has been unable
to discover why heating costs are
up.
But Clerk Helen Grubb said part
of the problem rests with people
who rent the facility and turn the
heat up.
"When there are card games in
there, the heat is turned up and I
mean really turned up," she said.
"We've put locked boxes around
the thermostats but it is still hap
pening."
She also said there are places in
the building where you can look up
at the roof and see the sky which
would allow for escaping heat.
No decisions were reached on
how council is going to deal with
Memorial Hall except that all felt it
was important the public know how
much the building is costing the
town.