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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-16, Page 6Page 6 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 16, 2009 www.goderichsignalstar.com Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers, P.O. Box 220, 120 Huckins Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 4B6 EDITORIAL Tough budget needs some public input This year, the budget deliberations before our municipal council may be espe- cially difficult. Even veteran CAO Larry McCabe admitted that the preliminary budget before council was "one of the most difficult" for the municipality adding that even with a hefty increase in taxes, the necessary infrastructure costs would not be. covered. Even before deliberations began, Mayor Deb Shewfelt asked his council what level of increase they could live with, suggesting that an increase in taxation was inevitable and that only the level of increase would be in question. Many councilors are already resigned to the fact there will be an increase in the budget and will merely try and find a range that will be acceptable to taxpayers. The town and its council has always been creative and proactive in creating reserve funds and contingencies that have financed many necessary projects but infrastructure costs continue to escalate and shared funding from other levels of government eventually dries up. There is still much work that needs to be done and equipment that needs to be replaced. What citizens have to ask themselves is if they are simply willing to accept yet another increase in taxation or if they can accept less in the level of services the municipality delivers to keep the costs and taxes to a zero per cent increase. In the face of hundreds of lost jobs in the community, the prospect of balancing the taxa- tion funds required to get the municipal work done and provide appropriate levels of services to citizens against what the market is willing to pay, is tenuous. • The budget process and the numbers will be. a moving target for a few months. During the public process (another meeting was held Monday, Dec. 14) citizens have to make their voice clear and let their councilors know what is acceptable and what is not. It's your money, at least have a say. D.S. Be a responsible driver this year Now that the Christmas season is upon us, people will have the opportunity to celebrate in many ways, often at planned social gatherings and impromptu Christmas parties. Everyone is encouraged to drink responsibly this Christmas season and to refrain from driving if alcohol has been consumed. The consequences of drink- ing and driving are serious and often, catastrophic, resulting in deaths, injuries and charges. The risk is simply too great. So don't put yourself or your loved ones in that precarious position. The Huron OPP has been very blunt about its tolerance for the drinking driver this year. Simply, there is no tolerance at all and already a number of RIDE pro- grams have been active on our town streets. Take heed and be safe. D.S. MEANWIAILE ... BACK DM 714E GoLf COURSE Proposed rules aim to ensure residents receive fair business To the Editor, For a number of years the constituents of Huron_ Bruce have been contact ing me, frustrated and con- fused, after unknowingly entering a contract with an energy retailer. Some we could help, others we could not. Unfortunately this prob- lem is not unique to my ....:». The Goderich Signal -Star, published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario is one of The Signal -Star Publishing Group of Community Newspapers, a division of Bowes Publishers. The Goderich Signal Star shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad for typographical errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of that portion of the ad in which the error occurred The Goderich Signal -Star reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement. The Goderich Signal -Star is a proud member of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) and The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA). Editorial Deadlines... All Advertising Deadli Entertainment, Births, In Memoriams... Classifieds... Display Advertising... Telephone Fax.... Publisher... Reporters... Friday at 2 pm nes... Deaths, • Fridayat2pm 519-524-2614 519-524-5145 Dave Sykes Dominique Milburn Gerard Creces Denny Scott Letters opinion riding. In the past three years, energy retailers have cracked the top 10 list . of consumer complaints re- ceived by the Ministry of Consumer Services. The Ontario Energy Board is currently logging between 100 and 150 consumer complaints a week about the practices of these com- panies. As the MPP for Huron - Bruce, I am pleased to be a part of a government that is proposing new rules to pro- vide additional protection for energy consumers and allow for greater energy conservation. On Decem- ber 8, 2009, Gerry Phillips, Continued on next page Classifieds & Subscription... Accounting... Office Manager... Display Sales.. Advertising Manager... 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