The Citizen, 1998-02-11, Page 1Vol. 14 No 6
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1998
700 + 50 GST7
AMO tells prov, to keep its promise
Sw00000sh
It was one more point for Julia Schlumpf of Grey Central
Public School as students from five North Huron schools
gathered at East Wawanosh Public School, Feb. 3, to
participate in a free throw competition.
Business
New owners at
Brussels butcher
shop
See page 2
Government
County sets goal
for amalgamation
plan
See page 6
Sports
Brussels Juvies
lead playoff series
by 2 games
See page 10
Community
Brussels UCW
donates $2,500 to
Project Uplift
See page 16
East Wawanosh
says yes to OPP
The possibility of a regional
North Huron police force may be
fading.
East Wawanosh council agreed,
at the Feb. 3 meeting, to continue
with the OPP, thereby leaving Mor-
ris Twp. as the last link for the
Wingham force to serve Blyth or
other municipalities to the south.
Councillors had previously
expressed concern about buying
into a force which would require
several capital expenses such as
cars and building renovations and
maintenance.
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
Area politicians added their voice
to the hundreds taking the provin-
cial government to task for not liv-
ing up to its promise.
At the recent Association of
Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
in Toronto, delegates from across
the province, including several
local ones, passed resolutions
demanded the government live up
to its promise that any action they
took would not result in increases
to property taxes.
Grey Twp. Reeve Robin Dunbar
said that the roughly 1,000 in atten-
dance voted almost unanimously to
tell the government "we're not tak-
ing any more."
Since 1993 municipalities have
absorbed over $507 million in
transfers reductions from this
provincial government for a total of
$1.1 billion in the last five years,
AMO President Mike Power said to
the assemblage.
"Now municipalities are being
It appears Huron County taxpay-
ers won't be faced with a tax
increase to cover downloaded ser-
vices from the province, but one
service could cost $500,000 more
than expected unless the province
changes its funding.
County councillors Thursday set
a goal of having no tax increase in
1998, the fifth consecutive year
without a tax increase. This seems
likely to be reached despite the
province's requirement, in the
downloading calculations, that
municipalities reduce their expen-
ditures by 1.7 per cent — a total of
$457,000 for the county.
That percentage, however, is
based on 1996 expenditures which
included one-time costs for the
completion of renovations to the
courthouse and to the Health and
Library Complex at Huronview.
In addition, in 1997 the county
had one-time expenditures of
$355,000 for a pay equity settle-
ment, $300,000 for the homes for
the aged, and $200,000 for a new
computer system.
In addition, continued reduction
in welfare costs should save the
county $200,000 in 1998. All of
which makes up more than the
expected savings the province
required.
However, Clerk-Administrator
Lynn Murray told council there
was a $520,000 surprise when
county officials started looking at
told to find another $565 million to
offset the cost of the Who Does
What transfers," he said. "In addi-
tion, municipalities are going to be
billed for $2.4 billion in costs for
services which they will have no
direct authority to manage and over
which they can exercise little or no
cost control."
The result, he said, unless action
is taken to correct the current situa-
tion is going to be increases to
property tax.
Dunbar noted that many munici-
palities have been unable to do
their budgets for this year because
the province keeps changing the
dollars. "There is so much uncer-
tainty. The one thing we do know
is that this isn't revenue neutral."
Dunbar said that AMO wants the
government to make funds avail-
able so that there will be no nega-
tive impact on the taxpayers.
The province is expecting munic-
ipalities to find $565 million in
savings. Dunbar said that with the
addition of expensive services to
the county and municipal expendi-
the actual cost of running the
ambulance service in the county.
When the province turned over the
ambulance service on Jan. 1, it said
the cost was $2.5 million. But actu-
al figures made the total
$3,040,770.
Murray said the figures back to
the province for a correction in the
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
A group of 20 concerned parents
and educators formed the Huron
Coalition for Quality Education fol-
lowing a meeting at Central Huron
Secondary School last Thursday
night.
The reason for the meeting was
to continue to oppose recent actions
A former Brussels resident has
been appointed assistant deputy
minister of the Agriculture and
Rural Division of OMAFRA.
Jim Wheeler, now of Guelph,
has been a civil servant with the
Ministry for over 20 years. During
that time he has held many regula-
tory and licensing positions.
Born and raised in Grey Twp.,
Wheeler is the second son of Lloyd
tures it can't be done. "The govern-
ment's agenda is driven by
economics which doesn't make
sense to the taxpayer," said Dunbar.
The resolution states that if the
province does not provide suffi-
cient funds to achieve its promise
of true revenue neutrality the
"municipalities will have no
recourse but to pass on to property
taxpayers any financial burden
resulting from Who Does What and
they will make it clear to their
property taxpayers the reason for
the increase."
A second resolution calls for cor-
rect and final financial data to
municipalities no later than Feb.
20. Also the province should
immediately undertake the neces-
sary reforms to give municipalities
full control of all municipal expen-
ditures beyond mutually agreed
upon minimum service standards.
Dunbar said that the delegates
have also stream-lined AMO so
that it can act in a more expedient
manner.
balancing of the who does what
exchange of revenues.
Also, Ontario municipalities
across the province are being asked
to back Huron's position that the
province should show the same
good management it expects from
municipalities, reducing by 1.7 per
cent the amount billed to the coun-
ties for some services.
of the provincial government, par-
ticularly with regards to the passing
of Bill 160.
Communications contact Tony
McQuail of St. Helens area said he
was pleased with the turnout at this
formative meeting. "Given the let
down after the Bill passed I was
delighted with the number of peo-
ple there. Also, I have heard from
Continued on page 6
and Helen Wheeler, now of Brus-
sels.
He was educated at Brussels Pub-
lic School and F. E. Madill Sec-
ondary School, Wingham. He
began his career with what was
then OMAF, following his gradua-
tion from the University of Guelph.
Wheeler and his wife, Diane, an
educational assistant, have three
children.
Good new, bad news for county budget
Parents form coalition
Brussels native gets prov. appointment