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The Citizen, 2006-11-02, Page 6* Mailing will take place during the first 2 weeks of October. Offer expires November 30,2006 hydra Conservation Bureau eariservarme_ PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2006. Few questions for candidates at Grey meeting By Shawn Loughlin Citizen staff The ratepayers in Grey, were relatively silent during a lackluster question period at the Huron East all candidates meeting on Oct. 24. The citizens of Grey, some of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with council, asked polite, simple questions and for the most part got answers they seemed happy with. The Cranbrook Community Centre was packed with people, some even standing and watching from the back of the hall while the candidates spoke their piece. The two Huron East mayoral candidates spoke first. Joe Seili and Lou Maloney are both taking a run at mayor this election, and on this night, Maloney had a few things to Continued from page 1 government," Traschel said, when the issue came before the board Oct. 24. She labelled it-an issue of respect, arguing the board should take the full retroactive amount — and cover the difference out of its existing budget — in order to avoid sending a message to the government that it's okay to back down on commitments. Veteran North Huron representative Colleen. Schenk, a regional vice-president with the Ontario Public School Boards Association, agreed with Traschel. But they cast the only two votes in favour of Traschel's proposed amendment to increase the retroactive pay to the full limit. say on how the mayor has been doing his job over the last three years. Maloney told the ratepayers about a situation where a delegation from Grey came to a Huron East council meeting and they were treated "rudely" by Seili. Seili countered Maloney's comments by telling the ratepayers that he simply told the delegation from Grey that if they gave him a turn to talk, that he would give them one. Maloney also does not see eye to eye with Seili on the beef-packing plant proposal in Brussels. The plant is a pet project of Seili's and is very close to his heart. Maloney, however, thinks that enough money has been put into this project and that it should be put on the shelf, something that accept $2,725. South Huron trustee Randy Wagler noted the board already voted in September to take the retroactive pay only if the government provided funding, so they shouldn't now accept more than what's covered by the funding. And board chair Meg Westley of Stratford expressed surprise that any money at all was provided for retroactive pay. "I didn't think we were going to get anything," she admitted. Perth South/West Perth representative Carol Bennewies added, "it's not going to kill me if I don't have (the retroactive pay), and I don't think I need it just to be like the other boards." Seili said he can't afford to do. Very similar to the speech he gave the previous night in McKillop, Seili listed the • achievements of Huron East council while under his guidance and listed some of his goals, should he be elected to a second term. It was important to Seili that people vote for him, but he was especially concerned that the citizens vote at all. He stated that there are a lot of Canadians soldiers fighting for democracy and that people should be exercising that right. Candidates for councillor, incumbent Alvin McLellan, Orval Bauer, Dave Joslin and Dale Newman all spoke to why they would be the best man for the job. For the most part, councillor candidates stayed silent through the question period, with the mayoral candidates jumping on any questions Continued from page 1 Schenk about possible changes to the Education funding formula for secondary schools. Schenk wondered if the provincial government is actively seeking to decrease the percentage of students who choose to attend high school for a fifth year, under the relatively new four-year program. Doherty had just informed trustees that, among several school boards he surveyed recently, the Avon Maitland board has the highest percentage of high school students who return for a fifth year. "The elimination of Grade 13 created the expectation that most secondary students would leave by the end of the fourth year," stated a posed to the whole panel. One topic was the Walton landfill site. McLellan, straining to speak through a cold-bitten throat, said it may have 10 to 12 years of service left on it. Concerns were brought up with two sums of $125,000 that were spent. The mayor explained that one went to a user-pay system in Seaforth that doesn't cost Grey residents anything, and the other allotment went to industrial land, which he said, falls under the old adage, it takes money to make money. Current councillor Mark Beaven, now running in Morris-Tumberry, asked a question about the preservation of town halls and community centres in Huron East. Both mayoral candidates ensured the ratepayers that this was at the top of their agenda. However, Maloney said that when some halls started report delivered' by Doherty. "This has not been the case in Avon Maitland . . . The 2006-07 board average is 50.1 per cent of students returning for a fifth year or at least one semester." Speaking after the meeting, Doherty recalled being principal of Goderich District Collegiate Institute at the time the four-year program was introduced, "What I honestly think happened was that . . . most of the principals in Avon Maitland got together and talked about it, and then communicated to parents that taking five years would be an appropriate strategy for many students." He maintains that's still a sound assessment, given the curriculum. losing money over the last three years, Seili wanted to close them and that he wouldn't let the mayor do this. The mayor did not address Maloney's comment. Maloney called himself a great defender of the local halls. "We're in the service business, servicing the ratepayers," Maloney said. "The town halls will be here as long as I'm around." The topic of Grey's fire hall was also discussed, with Maloney calling the condition of the hall a disgrace. This is another top priority for both candidates, who hope to fix the doors, which should get the large heating bill under control Seili said. The firefighters need a meeting hall, some windows repaired and something to correct the septic system freezing in the winter. All of the candidates were in agreement that this was a top priority. "Whereas in some communities, there might be a stigma attached to attending for five years, that's not the case here . . If I had a kid starting high school right now, I'd plan for them to attend for five years." Schenk, however, expressed, concern that future changes to the Education Act may eliminate funding for a fifth year of high school, thereby discriminating against boards — like Avon Maitland — which believe it's acceptable. Doherty responded that he believed that wouldn't happen. And even if it did happen, he said, the government would have to phase in such a change overseveral years so there would be time to adjust. 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