Huron Expositor, 2002-09-11, Page 3In brief
September 26, 2001
Si
(includes GSTI
Doug
Elliott, CFP
Rs u(
Svember 25,
2001
Bost G.I.C.
Rates
30 Day...3a 1556
1 Year...3.1556
5 Year...4.82%
THE INVESTMENT
CENTRE
26 Main St, Seaforth
527-2222
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Huron
East
boasts
lower
tax rates
in all
of county
As tax bills have
circulated across Huron
East this month, despite
some tax increases, the
new municipality boasts
some of the cheapest tax
rates around.
'"Our rural wards do.
have the lowest tax rates
in the county," said
deputy administrator
Brad Knight.
He said council made a
decision early in its term
to not raise any more
money from taxation by
ward than the year before .
when each of the five
'Huron East wards was a
separate municipality.
However, property
assessment changes and
county and school board
rates have not stopped
residents from seeing tax
increases despite
council's effort to keep its
portion of taxation down.
According to Knight, a
$100,000 house in
Brussels would pay
$282.94 less than a
similar house in Blyth
this year. •
Tuckersmith has the
lowest tax rate at 0.0124
followed by McKillop at
0.0126 and Grey at
0.0127.
Last year's rates were
0.0132, 0.0136 and
0.0131, respectively.
Last year, Brussels
ranked 19th out of 26
Huron County
municipalities and this
year, based on the former
municipalities if
restructuring had not
occurred, is ranked 14th.
Seaforth was ranked
25th last year and is now
ranked 23rd with towns
and villages largely
holding the highest tax
rates.
Despite rural wards like
Grey being hit harder this
year because its
community reinvestment,
grants are redirected into
aloof Huron East while
farms faced higher
assessments, Knight said
they were not anticipating
a lot of negative feedback
from ratepayers.
Inside...
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Page 11
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Bountiful harvest...
Doreen Rempel of Dashwood stops at a vegetable stand on Main Street in Seaforth Monday afternoon where fresh isroduce like
beans and peppers is giving way to the fall harvest of pumpkins, squash and apples.
Scoff Hllgendorff photo
Transfers to Catholic system
adds to high school enrolment
By Stew Skater
Special,to The Huron Expositor
Transfer of students from
the Avon Maitland District
School Board and the
relocation of students from
other districts accounted for a
larger -than -expected
enrolment this September at
both secondary schools
operated by the Huron -Perth
Catholic District School
Board.
In a report on school
organization delivered to
Huron -Perth trustees at a
regular meeting Monday,
Sept. 24, actual enrolment
numbers are higher than last
year's projections for both St.
Michael Catholic Secondary
School in Stratford and St.
Anne's Catholic Secondary
School in Clinton. In both
cases, they're also higher
than total enrolment was for
the 2000-01 school year.
Last year's projection for
St. Mikes was 901, down
three from the 2000-01
enrolment of 904. In fact, the
school currently hosts 958
students.
At St. Anne's, the 2001-02
projected enrolment was 671,
the same number as last year.
But it actually jumped this
September to 705.
According to director of
education Gaetan Blanchette,
the differences were the
result of "unexpected
enrolment."
For this, he cited a
combination of two factors:
students moving into the area
from other districts and
students transferring from the
co -terminous Avon Maitland
District School Board.
He couldn't give a break-
down of how many students
fit into each category, nor
could he pinpoint which
Avon Maitland schools lost
students to transfer.
The unexpectedly high
secondary -level enrolments,
however, weren't enough to
offset the fact the Huron -
Perth board still faces the
same challenge as that faced
by most rural Ontario school
boards: a continued long-term
trend towards over-all
enrolment decline.
According to the school
organization report, full-time
equivalent enrolment in the
board's elementary schools
now sits at 3,340, down just
less than 20 from last year.
That's actually 5.5 full-time
equivalent slots below what
was projected.
And trustee Mike Miller
notes that a further break-
down of elementary grade
levels shows there are fewer
students starting into the
board's schools than there
have been in the past.
"When you lay out the
numbers for Junior
Kindergarten to Grade 3, and
then for the other grades, you
can see that the numbers of
our schoolchildren are
definitely decreasing, "
Miller commented.
Blanchette, however, was
able to put a positive spin on
what, from all appearances,
will eventually be a
significant enrolment decline.
"The nice thing about it is
that we've known for a
number of years that we're
going down," the director of
education said. "We're able
to project and we're able to
plan accordingly."
Huron East water operator will be hired
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
A week after defeating a
motion to hire a town water
operator with a tie vote,
Huron East council agreed
unanimously at last week's
meeting to advertise to fill
the position.
"We defeated the motion
because we wanted to
explore other options but we
don't have that option
anymore because of the
response from Azurix," said
McKillop Coun. Sharon
McClure.
Council has been grappling
with the problem of having
properly qualified staff to
deal with water main breaks
since the one staff member
with a water certificate went
on sick leave.
While Azurix, the
company which currently
manages Huron East's water
and sewer system, deals with
annual maintenance and
regular testing of the five
municipal water systems,
Huron East is still
responsible for water main
breaks and other
maintenance.
Azurix turned down a
recent request by the town
that it allow a municipal staff
person to work under
Azurix's direction to attain
certification in water
distribution. A town
employee who is currently
working towards his water
certificate must work with a
certified operator to acquire
it.
Citing standards of a Grade
12 education and college
degree in the environmental
field along with concerns of
liability when working with
an employee not in its direct
responsibility, Azurix's
regional manager Nancy
Kodousek said in a letter,
"we must decline in offering
S.. COUNCIL, Pop. !
Council to figure out how to spend $25,000
fob economic development, with business group
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
The Business Retention and
Expansion (BR and E) committee will
be invited to attend Huron East council
at the beginning of October to discuss
how to spend its municipal grant of
$25,000.
Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath •
told council at last week's meeting that
he'd been informed the BR and E
would like some direction concerning
the $25,000.
"They came to us asking for money
because they had some game plan. I'm
surprised they don't know what to do
with the money," said Deputy -Mayor
Bernie MacLellan.
Mayor Lin Steffler said the BR and
E asked for S100,000 to hire an
economic development officer because
"they believed as volunteers they were
at their limit and $25,000 won't buy
you an economic development
officer."
Seaforth Coun. Bill Teall said he'd
feel more comfortable if someone from
the BR and E were at the meeting to
"carry on the dialogue."
McGrath said he suggested the BR
and E talk to someone from Brussels
and Vanastra to get their opinions.
"Let's get them here the first
meeting in October to give them time
to prepare," said Steffler.
Book
can be
signed
for
those
in
New
York
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Huron East residents
wishing to send their
words of support and
sympathy to victims of
the terrorist attacks in
New York City and
Washington D.C. can
sign a book of
condolences at town hall
in Seaforth until the first
week of October.
"Nobody asked for it.
It's just there and people
are signing it as they
come in and pay their
taxes," said Clerk -
Administrator Jack
McLachlan at last week's
council meeting.
Mayor Lin Steffler
said municipalities
everywhere are making
similar gestures.
"It's hard to find the
words with all they've
gone through. They've
had a horrendous week
and a lot more to come
down the road," she said.
Many of those who
filled the first three
pages of the book state
simply, "Our thoughts
and prayers are with
you."
"This book is provided
so that people can
express their sympathy
and feelings regarding
the recent events
occurring in America.
Please take the
opportunity to sign the
book," says a sign on a
table in the town hall
lobby which is decorated
with American ribbon
brought to Seaforth by
sister city visitors from
West Branch, Michigan
recently.
McLachlan said that
while he's not
completely sure where
the book will be send, he
is consulting with
neighbouring
municipalities that are
making the same gesture.
There are at least three
locations in Seaforth
where local people can
make donations towards
relief efforts for victims
of the terrorist attacks.
Pete Martene, of Pete's
Paper Clips and the local
Sear's outlet, says local
people donate money
through Sears.
"People can do it
through -theft Sears card,
their Eaton's card or just
plain cash," he says.
The Canadian Imperial
Bank of Commerce in
Seaforth is also
accepting donations to
Tragedy USA and USA
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