HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-03-18, Page 1-4.-19711,ucknow
Methane digester
may save local
fanners a lot of
money . .
41111.
Morn in
Smile
er iron a
four-leaf clover,
because you
don't want to
press your luck.
—Author
Unknown
• - Submitted photo
Bobby Raymond of the NCAA first division R1T Tigers stands ifilth his -former FE
Madill hockey coach. Larry Lane, after winning the Division '1: NCAA: "Atlantic
Conference" title. See story on page 6.
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4
•
Submitted photo
Here are the winners from the 39th annual Ron Alton tyke tournament. Here is the
presentation for the A Champions fromWingham. From left to right are Ben Alton,
Blair Alton, Ron Alton,Art Clark Lucknow Legion branch #309 rep, Darby Kikkert
and Scott Alton,
•
Viednesdas
March 118, 2009
• —
Week 12 — Vol. 136
gst included
Publications Mail Registration
No. 07656
Bringing Together
Huron & Bruce
•
•
Council will study
draft budget further
BY PAT HALPIN
Special to the Sentinel
Bruce County council
wants anther week to
study a draft budget with
a -proposed 4.7 per cent
levy increase.
The draft budget meets
council's tax increase tar-
get, said Warden Bill
Goetz, but he's con-
cerned about $600,000
worth of new staff in the
proposal.
Goetz is prepared to
spend some money on
capital to avoid costly
future repairs.
"There's always things
that have to be done and
if you don't do them now
you .have to do them
later," he said. "I don't
think that's the way to
go."
At the same time,
council wants depart-
ment heads to justify the
requests for staff increas-
es.
"That's where most of
the increased dollars are,
and we want more detail
on that," he said.
The draft ' budget hit
council's target in spite
of early alarm over dou-
ble digit department
budgets, like the pro-
posed " 16 per cent
increase for planning.
That department is now
asking for a 1.37 per cent
budget increase.
"There's no magic,"
said clerk Bettyanne
Cobean about the sharp
reduction. Departincnt
heads heard council's
message, took the infor-
mation back and made
revisions.
CAO Wayne Jamieson
said at this point the draft
budget achieves coun-
cil's directior for a three
per cent increase plus the
growth rate in the county.
"The question is, does
it achieve council priori-
ties?" he said.
That's the question
councillors will try to
answer this week as they
pore over the figures
again.
Bruce County's pio-
posed budget means
$23.83 more for a home
assessed at $167,000,
putting the total county
share of taxes at $750.
The average value of a
residential homejs up
seven per cent this year
because of reassessment.
That translates as
$12,000 higher value
than last year. . . -
Last year, truce
County's tax levy was
slightly higher than
Grey's $693 but below
Huron's $977 for a home
assessed at $150,000.
In all Bruce County's
draft budget would raise
$33.6 million in property
taxes on a total assess-
ment of $8 billion.
'Scone intersection
The residents of Scone
near Chesley got a look
Monday at options Bruce
and Grey counties have
for the intersection in
their hamlet.
Bruce ilighWays chair
Ron Oswald promised
the meeting' two years
ago and went ahead even
though nothing has been
decided and construction
won't likely hvppn until
2011.
Scone residents are
worried about how any
changes to the intersec-
tion will affect their
properties, Oswald said,
and were anxious to see
what plans are on the
table.
Continued on page 3