Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-12-06, Page 7Property taxes shouldn't rise, Johns BY PAT RAFT'S SSP ,News Staff The provincial government announced approximately $6 billion in spending cuts in a mini -budget released last Wednesday. Hospitals ($1.3 billion)., municipalities ($658 million) and school boards ($400 million) were among the most affected areas, facing a total of $1.5 billion in cuts to transfer payments next year. A $2 per prescription "co -pay- ment," for seniors and the poor under the Ontario Drug Benefit program was added. A new commission will be creat- ed in January to decide.which hospitals across the province will close or amalgamate. Lakeshore Advance editor Patrick Raftis of Signa! -Star Publishing talked to Huron MPP Helen Johns about the cuts in a telephone interview, Saturday. Raftis: This budget state- ment's going to escape one criticism of previous measures, that the cuts were all falling on the poorer segment of the pop- ulation. This seems like it's going to affect everyone in the province. Johns: Yes. I think it's far reaching. There's no question about that. Raftis: With the Municipalities and the school boards taking the hit that they have are you anticipating that they are going to have to raise property taxes? Johns: No, we've asked them not to do that. We gave the municipalities especially a lot of notice. We let them know in June or July right after the election that this is the way we would be going. So, most of the municipalities around have looked at opportunities and alternatives and most of them were pretty much prepared for this. I have been talking to some of the municipalities and they seem to have thought of some ideas and have been imple- menting some things. I know there's also been some amalga- mation talk between some towns and townships and I think that they're looking for ways to not pass the tax on. Everybody knows that the tax- payers are full up with tax and we can't really afford to increase their taxes again. Education cuts Two views BY JOHN GREIG SSP News Staff Two area school boards differ greatly on their assessment of Finance Minister Ernie Eves's recent econ9mic statement. James Brown, director of education with the Huron -Perth Separate School Board picked out three reasons to be opti- mistic. Eves said three titres during his statement that inequities between rich and poor school boards will be rec- tified., Paul Carroll, director of edu- cation for the Huron County Board of Education, said the effect of a 9.9 per cent cutback in provincial funding to school boards will depend on how school boards work with less money. "If we do it right, it won't mean anything significant for a child at any level," said Carroll. "if we do it wrong it will mean larger groups of children before fewer teachers." Carroll said he couldn't elab- orate on too many ways in which the board was going to make up the shortfall without affecting the classroom. "We're talking about it with the unions," he said. The province announced a Helen Johns, Huron MPP the economy will start to move, the tax cuts being one, the province's economy being Raftls: In fact, keeping the tax burden down has been a big part of the program. With the cuts, we've talked a lot about how we're trying to get the deficit down. With what you've cut so far, do you feel comfortable that people really are going to get the tax cut that was talked about during the election. Johns: Yes, we still believe that the tax cut has to come. We believe the program is multi -faceted of course and what we've been doing up to now is the first part. We believe that we have to get government spending under control because that's part of it and to do that we have to reduce the size of the govern- ment and the way it does busi- ness. So that's what we've been working on up until this point. The next point is we have to get some vitality back in the economy so we can create jobs. And, that's a major focus for us now, trying to create jobs. And one of the ways we believe we can create jobs is by reducing people's taxes and getting them to spend more money and if they spend more money on indicators such as cars and things like that it will get the economy started again: so that's what we really need to have happen. Raftis: You're banking a lot on that being the thing that's going to get the economy mov- ing then, -- on the cut in taxes? Johns: Yes. And we believe that, for a number of reasons, in a much sounder base because we're that much closer to a balanced budget now. We believe that also the vision that the country is a little more sta- ble after the referendum too will help us. So there's a num- ber of issues. It's not just the spending and its not just the tax cuts. It's a whole spectrum of issues that allow us to believe that we can get the economy started a little bit. Raftis: To move into the health care area, the committee that you're involved with, from what I've been able to read it looks like the Ministry of Health under Bill 26 is going to have the power to more or less decide which hospitals will be open and which will close. Now, I know the last time we talked about this area you had said this is going to be up to the local DHCs (District Health Council's). Do you still feel, given the statement, that they are going to have that kind of input as to whether the local hospitals remain open or not? Johns: Yes. So what's going happen was basically that the District Health Council do the planning, decide how the community should go. And then we will have a committee implemented, still within the community, that will imple- ment the suggestions of the District Health Council and that group will be passed the power to be able to move to close hospitals. Because you see what we're concerned about is that if their funding reduces to such a level, can they provide adequate health care? I mean, that's the last thing we want is for there not to be adequate health care within a hospital or a community. And so we want to make sure that there's adequate care there too, so that's one of the reasons for it, but it all will still be local community dri- ven. Raftis: I noticed there were no, cuts to ,day, care,. child care funds• in"Nle tbut lget. Did the protests that wdre' organized just beforehand have any impact on that, or was it ever on... Johns: No. No. It was about six weeks ago, we basically set up a task force, way before the protests, that would look at day from different boards cutback of 9.9 per cent to school boards during its eco- nomic statement last Thursday. Cuts to education will save the province $400 trillion. The province also announced another cut of 9.9 per cent in 1997. Carroll said the two cuts will decrease the operating bud- get of the board from $62 mil- lion to $55 tnillion. "We've been planning for a 10 per cent reduction since the first of the year," said Carroll. "We're still too late in planning for such cutbacks. There are a lot of 'drastic measures' we should be studying." "The real insane part in edu- cation is that coupled with the cutbacks is the grant system." Carroll said the province sets the largest chunk of the educa- tion mill rate and that is beyond the control of the local board. But despite thc hardship Carroll and his school board will endure, he remains sup- portive of the premise of the Hams government. "I commend Harris, Eves and Snohelen for their efforts. We have to fix this. I'm a parent of two kids who will soon be working age. My free ride for the last 30 years could cause them and their families hard- ship." Huron MPP Helen Johns said in a phone interview the day after the economic statement she see the minister's promise to equalize funding as positive. "It's great news for Huron County," she said. "Our kids get substantially less than in Toronto. Even if some money comes our way, it's positive for the county." "If the minister addresses (the unequal funding) issue, then the whole budget statement is good news," said Brown. The local boards arc among the lowest in the province in per student spending. The Huron - Perth Separate Board is the lowest spending separate board in the province at $4,598 per child in 1994. The Huron public board is the second lowest spending public board in province, at $5,186 per student in 1994. To compare, the Metropolitan Toronto School Board spent $7,709 per student in 1994. "If you're going to contain financial expenditures, you don't go after the one with no money," said Brown. "I have great faith they will live up to what they have said. And we have great faith in Helen Johns and (Perth MPP) Bert Johnston." care. It's to run under Janet Eckert, who of course is from the county here and is the member from Durham. And she's to look at day care and how it needs to evolve and where it needs to be. But that report isn't out yet. We knew that there wouldn't be anything from day care until that reports out and we have something adequate for the parents of young children in the province. It's never our intention to try and take away things when we don't have an alternative. And we need to have a good alter- native for day care or, you know, find out how it could best work in the province. Raftis: One last question for you Helen, and I think it's probably one every Conservative has asked them- selves. What is the difference a user fee and a co -payment? Johns: Well....that's a good question Pat. I guess, we believe a user fee is different. I heard Ernie (Eves, finance ministdr) speaking yesterday, and he believes a user fee relates to the ability to tap hos- pitals and to use your health care. They're calling this a co- payment and I guess we're calling it co -payment for two reasons. First of all it's on drugs. But secondly, with this co -payment the money that is being taken from the $2 per prescription part and/or the $100 (deductible) is being re- invested right again on the working class poor of Ontario because we're opening the Trillium (drug benefit) plan to people who we call the work- ing class poor of Ontario. So, basically the people who are being asked to put money from their drugs, the $2, that money will be re -invested so that peo- ple who have never had health care and have always suffered the potential of having a health illness and the prescriptions destroy any kind of savings they had will now be protected also. So I guess the user fee seems to me to come back into the government, this co -pay- ment is really used to help other people get onto the plan also. Hay book delayed Release of the much - anticipated Hay 'Township Highlights will take a bit more time than originally expected, but in turn, you're going to get a much more detailed volume of local and family history at no extra cost. Because of the tremendous response from local residents who submitted many more family histories than originally anticipated, the book has swelled from the planned 400 pages and 500 photographs to 750 pages and more than 1,400 photos. While the deluge of family histories has meant much more work preparing the book for printing, the stories were too interesting to leave out. The original price for the book hasn't increased by as much as a penny, and copies remain available for $55. 'We hoped to have the book out for Christmas, but the extra effort has meant a slight delay, with publication now anticipated early in the New Year,' according to a recent press release. Many of the books have been presold. if you planned to put Ilay Township Highlights under the Christmas tree, or would like to, gift certificates for the book are available from Donna Thiel (519) 2363060 and Lan McAllister (519) 236- 4034. Provincial cuts will affect county operations BY BLAKE PA'I"i'I RSON SSP News Stall At the Nov. 30 meeting of County Council, Warden Bruce Machan said the Nov. 29 provincial economic statement will have a. major impact on municipalities. He said the parts of the state- ment which will have a direct impact on county operations include: the reduction of road grants and certain transportation grants, the 40 per cent cut of grants for municipal libraries, the phase-out of grants for recy- cling programs, the introduction of legislation which will allow municipalities to introduce broad-based user fccs, and changed rules concerning the amalgamation of municipalities. Machan said, "These arc a few of the highlights, what's missing is the details." COURTHOUSE RENOVATIONS Machan said renovations of the Huron County Courthouse arc almost complete and all county departments are now moved hack into the facility. Completion is still scheduled for Dec. X and thc reopening will he held sometime in January. Regarding recent speculation that several court houses throughout Ontario may soon be closing, council agreed that MPP Helen Johns and the Attorney General of Ontario would be contacted to commu- nicate county concerns about the potential economic and social impact and efficiency of justice which would be lost if the county courts were closed. RESIGNATION Dennis Merrall resigned as county engineer to accept a position as county engineer of Middlesex County. His resignation is effective Jan. 5. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Dscomb.r d, 1995-7 • 657-2020 EXETER'S BEST BUY This 4 bedroom brick home could very well be your choice. Set on an oversize lot 50' x 163' with a detached garage 20' z 16.5'.Ideal for the growing family it offers an eat -in kitchen, 3 bedrooms up, 1 on the main floor, new bathroom with jacuzzi & tub,Dining/living room with lob of natural wood (trim & floors) lower 26' family room with natural gas fireplace & built-ins. Immediate poss&vcion, all this for $99,900.00. Call todayof r an exclusive showing Ray Otermenns,Sales Representative 657-2020 or 232-9029 if ELE L I Farm • Home • Commercial Pole Line Construction • 345-2447 1 RIO E tD Dealer of FILTERIZEXPERT STRAY VOLTAGE SPECIALIST Wetf/rr/ra 1 QUALITY! All of those famous Watkins products you remember - Vanilla, Cinnamon and Pepper plus hundreds morel All backed by Watkins satisfaction guarantee. For a Watkin catalog, cal Independent Representative: Linda Bailey Call 522-2046 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Allan Carter, Broker • Home • Auto • Commercial • Farm 522-0399 Seaforth 1-800-265-0959 Strathroy McMaster Siemon AINSURANCE BROKERS INC. AUTO - HOME YAM ((j a TRAVEL �• C ERCI 11[20 - ILIIIFIE IAYSS(UNA CZE 68 Ontario Rd. 3489150 Mitchell 1-800-561-0183 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 156 GREY CUP DRAW WINNERS '125 Randy Welsh $125 Rick Lee '125 Laureen Regele $125 Larry Titus 1st Quarter Frances Fischer Half Time Larry Horne 3rd Quarter Ellen Murphy "I leave you the responsibili- ty of protecting and maintaining thc hest road system in thc province," Merrall said. And he said his department has already made the cuts to deliver q budget for road main- tenance and construction in 1996, so little additional change will be needed after he has gone. "We have already Cut our staff," he said. Since 1986, thc roads depart- ment has reduced its number of full-time staff from 46 to 37. Christmas Courier Service • C C COFFEES � TE. -4:, Hf E ` [- CHOCOLATES • Girt s BASKETS DEADLINE DECEMBER 10 We can have your Christmas Gift Selection Shipped Anywhere in Canada Call Today PAS Your 'r'Y TRAYS • Cheese • Vegetable • Fruit • Sandwiches • Sweets Come to Tastebuds for... • Gift Baskets • Gourmet Foods • Hand -dipped Chocolate • Mulling Spices • Teas & Coffees • Truffles • Jelly Bellys • Stocking Stuffers • Gourmet Food Baskets • NEW - Kids Corner December Hours Mon. - Sat. 10 am - 5:30 pm Cathy Mustard Sunday 1 - 4 pm Wendy McFarlan Hwy. 4 South of CLINTON (directly across from Huronview) 482-1232 TM Notice is hereby given of the ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS in the Clinton Town Hall Auditorium WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 AT 8:00 P.M. for the purpose of receiving Reports and Financial Statements for the year ending September 30, 1995, electing Directors and Credit Committee officers, appointing Auditors and Scrutineers; for the purpose of amending Bylaws and of transacting all other business of an Annual Meeting. Lunch will follow the meeting. Door Prizes to be drawn. Dated at Clinton this 15th day of November, 1995. Marjorie Dobson ' Secretary •• Copies of the complete amending Bylaws are available at the office and will not he available at the Annual Meeting. CLINTON COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION 48 Ontario Street 118 Main St. North Clinton 482-3467 Exeter 235-0640