HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-12-06, Page 1See page 9 See page 13
The North Huron
itizen
Vol. 11 No.48
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 1995
610 +40GST 650
Further 9% in cuts to ed. means
more pencil sharpening for bd.
rm
Meeting smile after smile
Being part of the annual Santa Claus parade in Brussels this past Saturday brought smiles
to many youngsters faces, like this one, who got to ride the route not just on a float but
astride a GT Snowracer. The bite in the air and the falling snow were no match for the
warmth of the season as the community came out in droves to watch the annual event.
Government
County approves
cuts to winter
road service
See page 6
Feature
Victims of abuse
find comfort, help
through counselling
Sports
Blyth PeeWees
take a win
in Legion tourney
Entertainnoten1
Quartette
appearance takes on
new form
See page 31
Ralph Watson gets
Brussels council spot
By Janice Becker
The numbers are out and the
sharpening of pencils continues for
the Huron County Board of Educa-
tion as they cope with an additional
nine per cent funding reduction due
to the provincial budget of Nov. 29
as well as $4 million already need-
ed, as a result of tax reassessment.
All partners involved in educa-
tion have been reviewing and
updating the direction the board
should take to attain the budget
estimates for 1996, says Director of
Education Paul Carroll.
"One million was already on the
table and trustees can expect to see
another $800,000 to $1 million
today. It is the board's task to
reduce spending by a minimum of
$3 million (approximately nine per
cent) for each of the next two
years."
Although not yet informed as to
the specifics of the withdrawal of
transfer payments, Carroll says
there is every indication that
assessment-poor boards (such as
Huron) with higher-than-average
ministry grants will be more
adversely affec_zd.
Huron County presently has one
of the lowest levels of spending per
student in the province.
The board recommended several
areas for action to handle the finan-
cial crisis, one of which brought
comments of disapproval from
Goderich Trustee Norm Pickell and
Joan Van den Broeck, trustee for
Colborne and Goderich Twps.
The recommendation instructed
Carroll to devise a plan to downsize
senior administration ranks by one
Continued on page 29
Ralph Watson was sworn in as
Brussels village councillor Monday
night, filling the seat left vacant
when John Lowe resigned in
November.
Watson was one of four people
who put their names forward for
the post. Applications were opened
at the Nov. 29 special meeting of
council. Others considered were
Gerry Wheeler, George Langlois
and Glen Gouldsborough. After
nominations from among those,
Watson was chosen.
A resident of Brussels since
1963, he runs Sunshine Consulting
Service advising on accounting and
computer matters. He said he put
his name forward because it offered
a new challenge.
By Janice Becker
From complete outrage to under-
standing and acceptance.
This was the range of reactions to
Provincial Finance Minister Ernie
Eve's first economic statement,
'mini-budget', which was brought
down Nov. 29.
"I believe this statement does two
things which the government want-
ed to accomplish," says Huron
MPP Helen Johns. "It reduces
spending and it restructures the
way government and all sectors do
business."
With the provincial government
presently spending $lmillion more
per hour than it collects in rev-
enues, (spending) could not contin-
ue the way it was, says Johns.
The mini-budget, which set out
$6 billion in cuts over the next
three years, includes reductions of
$400 million to schools, $400 mil-
lion to universities, $1.307 billion
to health care, a $2 fee on prescrip-
tions for seniors and social assis-
tance recipients and a 43 per cent
cut to funding for municipalities
over two years.
For the Huron County Board of
Education, the proposed nine per
cent cut will see the $62 million
budget reduced to $54 million.
The board was looking at slash-
ing $4 million, before the budget
cuts, in an effort to prevent a large
increase in the tax bill.
"I have spoken to Paul Carroll
(Director of Education for HCBE),
asking the cuts not be done in the
classrooms," Johns says.
The government is looking at a
more equitable way to finance edu-
cation, to equalize the per student
grants as Huron County gets sub-
stantially less than Toronto stu-
dents, she says.
"Choices will have to be made
regarding where to make the cuts.
(Boards) will have to look at paring
down administration, transportation
costs, non-class staff and superin-
tendents."
The 18 per cent cut in funding to
hospitals, over the next three years,
will mean major restructuring of
Ralph Watson
hospital services in Ontario, says
David Martin, president of the
Ontario Hospital Association.
"The public will have to change
their expectations and use of hospi-
tal services, because it will not be
business as usual," says Martin.
"There will be fewer emergency
departments, longer waiting lists
for non-emergency surgery, pro-
gram and service reductions, merg-
ers and closures."
Hospital administrations, howev-
er, are appreciative of the three-
year plan for reductions, says
Martin. It will allow planning sta-
bility for restructuring.
"The government will not make
cuts to hospitals. It will be left to
District Health Councils to decide
how the community can be best
served by all services," says Johns.
Hospital funding will be bal-
anced with an increased need for
long term care.
Also in the medical field, Johns
says the $2 fee per prescription for
seniors and social assistance recipi-
ents will be balanced by a more
accessible Trillium Health Plan.
Trillium is health insurance
which can be purchased by low
income people to help cover the
high cost of medications.
The deductible for the plan has
been reduced from $500 to $350,
making it more affordable and eli-
gibility has been change to an
annual income of $16,000 for a sin-
gle and $24,000 for a double, says
Johns.
For municipalities, the cuts look
large, but are only two to four per
cent of their total revenue. Some
townships are talking about amal-
gamation and economies of scale,
she says.
The reduction in recycling grants
is a result of the high price received
by municipalities for the recycled
goods, says Johns. "The programs
are paying their own way."
On the agricultural front, the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
has 'reacted positively' to the mini-
Continued on page 22
Johns responds to budget