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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-04-12, Page 3News The Huron Expositor • April 12, 2006 Page 3 `Reincorporation' topic at April 12 Grey meeti Anonymous letter circulates Grey listing reasons to push for deamalgamatioi Susan Hundertmark 11111111111111111111 An anonymous letter circulating mailboxes in Grey last week is ask- ing residents to attend another meeting to discuss "reincorporation" on April 12 at 8 p.m. at Grey Central Public School. The letter lists lack of transparen- cy and lack of responsibility at. Huron East council as reasons for deamalgamating from the munici- pality, along with the assertion that , no tax savings have been made through amalgamation. "The amalgamation of the town- ship of Grey with the town of Brussels, township of McKillop, town of Seaforth and the township of Tuckersmith was essentially forced upon the residence (sic) with- ° out full consultation or a vote. Given the number of other munici- palities contemplating restructur- ing, it would seem we are not alone in the unrest," says the letter. However, the letter does acknowl- edge that the province has no process to allow deamalgamation. Mayor Joe Seili says he will be attending the meeting as a specta- tor but adds that much of the infor- mation in the letter is "misleading." "I'm going to listen to the one- sided story and we (Huron East council) will set up a meeting later to share facts and figures if people want it," he says. He says examples of misinforma- tion include facts on the Seaforth Lions Pool, the Santa Claus parade in Seaforth and Brussels and on Huron East council. Seili says the only reason council meets behind closed doors is because matters dealing with per- sonnel, property and legal issues are required to be closed under the Municipal Act. He says the Lions pool in Seaforth receives an annual operating grant of $6,500. That amount is not going towards the pool's repairs, as the letter states. As well, he points out that Seaforth gets $2,000 towards its Santa Claus parade, instead of the $500 Brussels gets, because those are the amounts each community has asked for. "Plus, Seaforth's parade is three times larger than Brussels' parade and since amalgamation the Brussels parade has grown because of cooperation between the two parades," he says. Seili says it's ironic that the letter complains about the money being spent by Huron East to research the possibility' of a beef plant in Brussels since if it's built, it will be located in Grey and bring many eco- nomic benefits to the area. As well, Seili says he doubts that Brussels residents will ever be in favour of the deamalgamation .of _. Grey since the community is com- pletely surrounded by Grey. "The majority of people are very happy with the services of Huron East. I don't think this group has the support it had the last time," says Seili. "If they think they can do a better job, put your name on the ballot. It only costs $100," he adds. Deamalgamation was discussed in the fall of 2004 in a packed hall in Ethel at a Huron East meeting. Grey Coup. Mark Beaven says he agrees the letter is also "misleading with lots of innuendo." He says he's particularly upset with the remark that Grey went from the lowest tax rate to the third lowest when the bottom four taxes in Huron County are all in Huron East. "The difference between first and third are just a few dollars on a $100,000 assessment," he says. Beaven says .what's missing from the letter are the benefits Grey has enjoyed by joining Huron East, such as hard surfacing of roads and high tech communications. "Alvin McLellan and I have held quarterly ratepayer meetings and we're the only ward in Huron County that does this," adds Beaven. Farmers to protest at three food terminals in Ontario From Page 1 While this week's protest will not contin- ue long enough to empty grocery store shelves, Hill says farm- ers want to make it. clear they could dis- rupt the food supply long enough to do so. "We're reluctant to take it to that level but we want to demon- strate we're prepared to do that. We'll leave it to the government to decide," he says, refer- ring to the need for immediate financial assistance from the government. "This is the last planned activity before spring planting and we have to know within the next two weeks. I know of farm business- es that are already going under," says Hill. He says close to 200 members of the Grassroots Movement were sitting in the gallery during the emergency debate on agriculture last Thursday. "They are currently sitting on a budget sur- plus so they have money. If the political will is there, they can make the money avail- able before the budget is struck, but it takes agreement within Cabinet to do that," says Hill. He says Huron County farmers are expected to participate in the protest in Cambridge, driving their tractors and pick- up trucks to the Loblaws terminal.