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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2005-03-09, Page 66 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, March 9, 2005 News Alliance running out of ideas County has to cut remaining deficit recorded vote over 18 per cent budget increase By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor With provincial approval for only 25 per cent of its balanced budget plan, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance is still facing a proposed $5.5 million deficit and is running out of ideas about how to balance its budget. "We've signed an accountability agreement with the province that we'll balance our budget by April of 2006 but we have no strategies to do that. We cannot find the savings we require," said Alliance CEO Andrew Williams after last week's Alliance board meeting in Seaforth. A balanced budget plan submitted to the province in November had three-quarters of its cost-cutting measures - most of them involving the cutting of outpatient services - turned down by the province. The cost-cutting measures approved by the province include a reduction in beds at the hospitals in Seaforth, Clinton and St. Marys and Williams said that while the cuts have not yet been made, the Alliance will be determining how to proceed with the approved cuts during the next month. "We are to proceed with the aspects of the plan they've (the province) approved but a lot of the savings were interconnected and that's what's taking the time," he said. Williams said no bed cuts are proceeding in Stratford because the proposed bed closures also involved service cuts. "In Stratford we were going to be closing beds that were occupied but in Seaforth the beds are already empty," he said. Williams said bed cuts in Clinton and St. Marys will involve increased efficiencies, such as reduced lengths of stay in the hospital. "We want to make sure we don't reduce the number of patients, just tighten the lengths of stay," he said. Williams said the province is going to have to provide some direction about where the Alliance can find any other savings in the four -hospital system. "The ministry (of health) has made it clear that we can't affect patient care unless there are approved alternatives in the community but we feel we've looked where we can for savings," he said. "That's the $64,000 savings," said Williams. Quoted `That's the $64,000 question - where to find more savings,'— Huron-Perth Healthcare Alliance CEO Andrew Williams question - where to find more YOUR FULL LINE OHN DEERE SALES & SERVICE CENTRE Your John Deere Circle of Excellence Dealer JOHN DEERE QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT IN STOCK 5 MILES NORTH OF MITCHELL AT BORNHOLM (Perth Line #44) TOLL FREE: 1-866-347-2251 OPEN: MON.-FRI. 8:00-5:30 • SAT. 8:00-12:00 P,.. 3472251 d 1 ■ 3' 1„ rommor Debbie Travis, Mike Holmes and Trading Spaces. They've all made home renovating the hottest trend in years. Every time you turn on the tv, there is someone else renovating something. This guide will help readers choose the right materials and the right tradesperson for the renovations they need, Be sure they know what you can do for them with your advertising message! 4DRiJiINiL DIkB1IPd: TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2005 This renovation guide full of tips and information will be inserted into The Goderich Signal -Star. The Clinton News -Record and The Seaforth Huron Expositor on Wednesday March 23. 2005 C'ort(r nif r"any ecurro,� 14o» fio►J eat Vitt I Iur()t Expositor 18" equnre orwnit Main Floor Plan Top View 06/28 0 Eaton & Sons, Inc. 1 Wilmington S ete 1 By Tim Cumming Goderich Signal Star Editor Huron County Council approved, in a recorded vote on Thursday, March 3, a committee report asking county staff to bring in a draft budget with an 18 per cent increase over the previous year. Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt spoke strongly against the decision. "You're approving 18 per cent," he said. Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East) said "this is not approving an 18 per cent (increase) budget ...this is nothing more than acknowledging we gave direction to staff." Shewfelt said "it's the wrong thing" to consider an 18 per cent county tax levy increase at the same time that farmers are facing an income crisis. "From what I've seen and heard about the plight of the farmers we're trying to talk out of both sides of our mouth (as a council)," he said. He said the municipality of Huron East had taken some real action by allowing farmers to defer their local taxes until after planting while, at the same time, the county is oonsidering a large levy increase. Coun. John Bezaire (Central Huron) said not only farmers will be hit hard but also low- income families and small businesses. Voting yea in a recorded voted requested by Shewfelt were Ben Van Diepenbeek (Ashfield-Colborne- Wawanosh), Doug Layton (North Huron), Bernie MacLellan (Huron East), Murray Scott (North Huron), Ken Oke (South Huron), Bert Dykstra (Central Huron), Joseph Seili (Huron East), Rob Morley (South Huron), Neil Rintoul (Ashfield - Colborne Wawanosh) and Paul Klopp (Bluewater). Voting nay were Deb Shewfelt (Goderich), Dorothy Kelly (Morris-Turnberry), Rosemary Rognvaldson (Howick), Bill Dowson (Bluewater), Jim Fergusson (Bluewater) and John Bezaire (Central Huron). Absent were Ellen Connelly (Goderich) and Dave Urlin (South Huron). Coun. Dorothy Kelly (Morris-Turnberry) said she would like an extra day for councillors, to look at budget items. She said an 18 per cent increase by the county, along iwith a small municipal increase, would cost more than $100 for a homeowner with $100,000 assessment. After the county council approved the report, Huron East's Joe Seili made a motion asking county staff to bring about a nine per cent increase, despite having voted for the previous motion approving the report with the 18 per cent figure. Treasurer David Carey said the county has faced about 14.25 per cent in increases this year. The figure includes wage and benefit contract settlements for emergency medical services of 2.33 per cent, for a total of about $576,000 and an 11.82 per cent figure reflecting $2.92 million in county reserves used last year to keep the county levy down. There were also three other smaller items including a loss of revenue from a third party using a county system, increased costs to the provincial Municipal Property and Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and a reduction in federal grants. "If you want the nine per cent we need to know what programs to cut to get it down," Carey said. Shewfelt said capital spending is the area where money can be cut to keep the tax increase down. The county is adding millions of dollars in expenses on road work and bridge work to play catch-up after years of cutbacks. "Yes, we need to get up to speed, but maybe over a little longer period of time," Shewfelt said in support of the cutting back of capital spending this year. After debate, Seili's nine per cent motion was defeated. "It's 18 per cent," Shewfelt said, after the motion was defeated. The report was tabled and will be reviewed again at the March 15 committee of the whole meeting. Steckle not border stay An eleventh -hour ruling by a Montana judge is effectively slamming the door shut on the much -anticipated reopening of the U.S. border to animals 30 months and under. The March 2 judge's ruling, which took side with the Ranchers -Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (R -CALF), claims the temporary injunction is legitimate given it can be argued Canadian imports could put the health and safety of consumers at risk. Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle isn't buying the argument, but he is not surprised by the turn of events. Steckle says the real test of where the U.S. government truly stands on the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis will be seen in short order. "The U.S. government can appeal the decision. If they don't, they're not doing what they can do," he says. Steckle says the fact the border was partially opening — and only to animals 30 months and under — means the Montana court's injunction is not as devastating as some might suggest. He says if the border had opened as planned, some of the focus might have been taken away from the positive changes under way in the growing strength of the domestic marketplace. surprised ing closed "Let's work on finding a made -in -Canada solution," he says. Steckle adds some beef industry officials are asking for the federal government to take the U.S. to court under deals spelled out in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, Steckle argues three court rulings in Canada's favour with regard to the softwood lumber trade disputes between the two countries show such maneuvres do not prove fruitful. "Even though we win, we can never seem to resolve things without a huge cost to Canadians," he says, suggesting filing an appeal under Chapter 11 of the agreement would take about four years and $9 million to complete. "They have the big stick and, quite frankly, I'm getting sick and tired of it," he says. "Canada? We try to live by the rules and maybe we're too good:" He adds that many constituents are equally upset by ongoing disagreements on everything from a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) plan to the Iraqi invasion to perceived trade inequities. "I know sometime we look like weak Boy Scouts, he says. By Cheryl Heath