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The Citizen, 1996-04-03, Page 4C The North Huron itizen P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, Publisher, Keith Roulston BLYTH, Ont. BRUSSELS, Ont. Editor, Bonnie Gropp NOM 1H0 NOG 1H0 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887.9114 Advertising Manager, FAX 523.9140 FAX 887-9021 Jeannette McNeil The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of 825.00/year ($23.37 $1.63 G.S.T.) for local; $33.00/year ($30.85 • $2.15 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-o'-area (40 miles from Brussels); $62.00/year for U.S.A. and $75.00/year for other foreign countries. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 CNA BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1995 All that remains Letters THE EDITOR, We have a great public education system in Huron County, and we are working hard to make it better. In this time of rapid change, we are ready for change. We know that times arc tough and that public spending needs to be brought under control. We want to do our part but, alone, a small jurisdiction like the Huron County Board of Education is a voice in the wilderness. You have heard about the report on school board amalgamation. There are several good recom- mendations in that report, but the most important among them are the recommendations for the reform of education finance. We must have those funding reforms if Huron County students arc going to get their fair share of Ontario tax dollars for education. We can live with the call to reduce the number of trustees, and we have already acted to downsize our administration. We DO NOT agree with the proposal to join the public school boards of Huron and Perth counties together into one new entity. We think there is a better way. Please support our call to establish a single school board for Huron County: one that provides for all sectors and protects the language and religious rights of all parties. This is the kind of amalgamation that makes the most sense. As we move forward toward the close of this century, let us ensure that public education in Huron County continues to be a front- runner - not only in academic excellence and technology, but in governance, administration and finance too. Please sign one of the postcards being circulated by your local Huron Public Education schools, and share another with a friend. Paul Carroll Director & Secretary-Treasurer Huron County Board of Education Roxanne Brown Chair, HCBE. THE EDITOR, A public meeting was called on March 26 by the council of the Township of Hullett. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the residents of the township of some of the issues surrounding Bill 26 and the question of restructuring or amalgamation with another Photo by Janice Becker municipality or municipalities. Those in attendance learned that the Province of Ontario has altered its grant structure, that subsidies, etc. are no longer forthcoming as they were previously. Monies will now be received in the form of "Block Funding" one lump sum to be allocated at Council's discretion within the municipal budget. Hullett has not suffered a reduction in 1996, however, it is anticipated that each subsequent year will see fewer dollars from the provincial level. This will mean that some services may have to be curtailed or the level of service reduced. Hullett is in a good position at this time. Reserves have been put in place, equipment inventory kept in good order, and roads well maintained. It was the general feeling that rather than hastening to amalga- mate with another municipality, all avenues should be explored to affect cost saving measures. This could mean sharing of equipment, manpower, tendering and/or purchasing, services, and facilities. Hullett already shares costs on recreation and fire protection with certain other municipalities. Concern was expressed that should regionalization occur, costs Continued on page IS PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1996 So who benefits by arguing? A potentially bitter division in Huron County keeps bubbling away just beneath the surface at county council as some urban and some rural municipalities continue to jab at each other over the issue of who pays for what services, and who benefits. The issue that brought it all to a head was the decision to discontinue the urban road rebate. The theory in the past (and this rebate was until recently mandated by the provincial government) was that rural areas gained more by the county road system than towns and villages. If a road that was formerly a township concession, for instance, was turned into a county road, Me township got a better road and saved maintenance costs. County roads between two townships benefitted both. Until the provincial government changed the legislation this winter, Huron had rebated 40 per cent of the money urban municipalities paid into the county road system. This has irked some rural reeves and when the province cut the county road grant, and abolished the requirement to pay the rebate, they moved quickly to kill the rebate. Eventually, as a compromise, the rebate was trimmed to 10 per cent this year, fading to zero in two year's time. Urban reeves feel they're stuck with a disproportionate hit to their roads. Not only did they suffer provincial grant cuts to their own road systems, but the county's actions will mean they absorb a huge hunk of the cuts to the county road system. Many rural reeves have little sympathy for the argument. The road system benefits everybody, they argue, not just the rural residents. True. But the argument works both ways. When rural residents travel over town streets to get to the feed mill or the lumber yard or the auction barn, should they then pay to support these? Rural reeves would quickly argue no, that their rural residents arc helping keep the town prosperous (there seems to be an underlying resentment and distrust of the urban small businesses that serve the farm population). On and on the argument goes. In discussions on libraries, some rural reeves feel they're having to pay for a service that benefits urban areas most, not only by letting urban residents borrow hooks, but by bringing people to town who then spend their money on other things. Reeves from larger municipalities 'sometimes grumble their taxes support county services that they'd just as soon provide for themselves, but which smaller municipalities want provided on a county-wide basis. As government cuts make everyone look at protecting the interests of his own municipality first, this kind of short-sighted nit-picking is likely to increase. The issue of "user-pay" is on everyone's lips. But there are many things where figuring out who is the user and how much they should pay is more effort than it's worth. What's important is that we're all in this together. It's not in the long-term interest of our community to start squabbling about who gains the most or who should pay the most. One would hope our municipal leaders would stop and listen to the problems of their fellows and try to be fair. What good is it if we save a little money but turn our community into angry factions, each begrudging the other any apparent edge? We built this community by working together. Let's not undo the work by fighting over short-term gains and losses. — KR Reward the good citizens Once again it's the time of the year when area residents get a chance to acknowledge the community efforts of their fellow citizens in the Citizen of the Year awards nomination for Blyth and Brussels. Over the years some of our outstanding people in each community have been thanked by their neighbours for their efforts — people like Howard Bernard and Betty Graber from Brussels and area and the late Simon Hallahan and Evalena Webster in Blyth and area. So far this year, however, nominations have been few for the awards and the deadline has had to he extended until April 30. In this clay and age of government cutbacks, there is a feeling that for-profit businesses can provide all services. We in small communities, however, know many services that hold our community together would not exist if not for the efforts of our selfless volunteers. These people do their community work because it makes them feel good to provide service but now and then it's nice to say thank you in a more substantial way. If you know such a person, nominate him or her today. — KR E ditorial