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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1983-05-04, Page 1Cif FIN A m z rn E I> N 0) co Whitings' Phone 235-1964 Increases two percent Exeter It's official now. Exeter's mill rate, for municipal pur- poses, will increase two per- cent this year. Council adopted the new mill rate, Monday, and the budget shelve local ratepayers will contribute $639,191 in local taxation on expenditures of $1,769,931. The education levy has not yet been set and the county rate is not included. The mill rate for residential and farm property will be 107.33 compared to last year's 105.22, while the commercial, industrial and business rate goes up to 126.27 from last year's 123.79. Finance committee chair- man Bill Mickle termed it JUST NEEDS A POLE -- Grade 8 student Tracy Spencer gets decked out in the heavy gear of o hydro lineman as Exeter PUC staff member Dennis Hockey assists. Hockey was among those from various occupations ad- dressing the students as part of an education week feature, Wednesday, and Tracy volunteered fo show the regalia although it turned out to be a bit heavier than she anticipated. T=A photo Wage increases average $800 each Employees of the Town of Exeter will roccive average pay int rcases of $800 this year. - At a closed session last week. council adopted the schedule of wage settlements and placed the employees in various categories similar to these outlined in the Person- nel Management Associates salary, benefit and Organiza- tional study. Police (thief Ted Day was placed in the top category, grade level 12. find will receive a pay hike of $873 to bring his salary to $:31,000 for the current year ' Clerk -t: easurer Liz Beti and works superintendent Glenn Kells were placed at level 11. Mrs. 13e11 receives a pay hike of $452 to take her to the top of the scale al $29Moo, while Kells received a hike of $1.200 to take him to $28.200. Works foreman William 1lirtzcl also moved to the lop of the grade 8 level with a pay increase of $1,100 to bring his salary to $22.300. Six employees were placed in grade 7. They include Has conflict over paving Ontario's new cote liet -of - interest regulations prompted Reeve Bill Mickle to declare a conflict regarding the works committee's proposed street paving budget at council.' Monday. Churchill Drive. a street on which Mickle is resident. was included in the list. Council approved spending $40,803 on paving this year under the following priorities: Ann St., Churchill Drive and three sections on William SI. The latter include from Waterloo to Iluron. Victoria to Wellington and Highway 8:310 Walper. Also approved was a 'recommendation frorn the committee that C.W.A. ('on - tractors undertake the curb cuts planned for Huron and Main and also twosections on Main Sl. at the south end. Ap- proximate cost is $2,103. This will be done in conjunc- tion with other work planned on the south part of Main St. this year. deputy -clerk Laurie Dykstra. building inspector Brian Please turn to page 2 Rummage hits record Bigger and better than ever! That's the description of Thursday's rummage sale at the South Huron Rec Centre sponsored by the South Iluron Hospital Auxiliary. ('o -convener Nancy Rooth said the number of articles donated by residents of Ex- eter and a wide surrounding area were the most ever received and that was con- firmed by treasurer Lillian Campbell. Mrs. ('ainpbell said although she didn't have a total profit figure she ex- pected it would be about $6,200. 'That's about $200 more than was gained from a similar sale a year ago. The Auxiliary has already booked the Rec Centre for a fall rummage sale on Thurs- day. October 20. Mrs. Campbell said customers came from far and wide citing two carloads of prospective buyers from Goderich. %She added, "We have a good reputation of be- ing well organized with good clean articles." Articles not sold were pick- ed up late Thursday afternoon by Goodwill Industries of London. tax rate "the tightest budget in/my ex- perience on council" and said he believed council had met their challenge of keeping any increase to a minimum due to the economic hardkhips ex- perienced by the busitlesses and ratepayers in the community. He said that any surplus at the end of the year could only be created through careful management by department supervisors and committee chairpersons. "This budget also maintain- ed the level of services ex- pected by the citizens of Ex- eter," the Reeve continued, saying that to achieve that it had been necessary to ear- mark about $83,500 of the ac- cumulated surplus, a -figure which was higher than he would have wished due to the tightness of the budget. He said the necessity to use this level of surplus was part- ly due to the following factors: 1. A very small increase in Provincial Government Fun- ding in the. Unconditional Grant Structure. Our increase this year amounted to 98/100 percent or $3,734. 2. The decrease in assess- ment that affected our mill rate tax dollar ratio. 3. Decreasing interest rates that reduced our budget estimates of interest income. 4. Increase in total expen- ditures of 7.3 percent 1983 Budget over 1982 Budget. In looking to the future,. Mickle foresees little hope for increased grants from the On tario Government. "However, we may see the Federal and Provincial Separate school taxpayers Government funding specific in Huron and Perth will pay programs for communities. an average of $37.50 more per Such programs as "Co-ed" $5,000 assessment to raise help us to participate in im- $1,528,900 as the local share of provement projects at a the 1983 budget. minimum cost to the com- The Huron -Perth Separate munity. We should • be School Board approved a prepared to take advantage of $7,622,314 budget for 1983 at its these opportunities and be April 25 meeting. This is an alert to their announcements. increase of 12.53 percent over "Over the past few months, last year's budget' of we have seen new business $6,783.402. The local share in- come to and building activity creased from 11,295,800 in taking place in Exeter. This 1982. will benefit the community in Chairman of the finance many ways and will also -be committee, trustee Ron Mar - reflected in budgetting re- cy of Stratford reported that quirements next year. This the board will be able to hold council should continue to is increase to 10 percent provide � a,positive climate.for tecause of $48,000 surplus -the''gt&itth or Eiceter and con hiri'4 year"> f use o tinue to promote the pluses • mill raises $900 more this is established we have to offer," he concluded. On the revenue side ot the budget. the local taxation results in about $3,000 more than last year, despite the mill rate hike. Mickle explain- ed that this is a result of lower assessment due to home owners receiving reductions. because of urea foam insula- tion as well as several businesses closing. ' Ontario will provide about 132,000 less in unconditional and specific grants. Last year there were grants under the off -oil program for three heating installations in town. The grant for snow removal, of course, will also be down. The accumulating net revenue moves from $70,387 to 1125,000 due .to the 1882 Surplus of 145,431. On the expenditure side, council and adtninistrattiIon costs ($159,7501 increase slightly over last year's,ac- tuat expenditure, due to. employee wage hikes and in- creased costs of supplies. The fire department budget shows one ot the largest in- creases over last year's ac- tual expenditures at $161,000. That's about $40,000 higher than last year, although less than $9,000 over the 1982 budget figure. Purchase of a new rescue van, along with pagers for the firemen and Please turn to page CONVENERS ON CUE — South Huron Hospital rum- mage sale conveners Vera Armstrong and Nancy Rooth try out a billiard table prior to the opening of the popular sale, Thursday morning. T -A photo Arrest area man on murder charge A second -degree murder charge has been laid against an area pian as the result of police investigation into the Saturday night death Of a 58 -year-old Exeter area woman. The body of Lucille Francis Koswan was found in her trailer at Buckline Acres trailer park on Highway 83 about two mites west of Ex- eter around 1:40 a:m., Saturday. Exeter OPP had been call - id in regards to the sudden daath of the grandmother of seven. A post mortem examina- tion at Stratford General Hospital revealed death was attributed to a hemorhage in the abdomen. caused by• a severe blow. Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Tenth Year • On Sudday at 4:00 p.m., police arrested Nick Nester Koswan, 55, the husband of the deceased.' The investigation' was con- ducted by Exeter OPP Con- stables D.C. Milison and Jim Rogers. assisted by DelectiVe Sergeant R. H. Middlebrook of the Mount Forest OPP district headyi'•rrters and Detective inspctctor J. T. McArthur, Criminal In- vestigation Branch. Toronto. Koswan was taken to Strat- ford jail and appeared in Goderich court on Monday. The accused was remanded , in custody to appear again next Monday in Goderich. Funeral service for the deceased, who is -survived by three children, was held from the 1f. A. Kebel Funeral llorne in Aylmer on Tuesday. voca e & North Lambtoh Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, May 4, 1983 Surplus helps reduce increase to 10 percent A YOUNG PASSENGER -- Julie Darling was a passenger with her mother Diane during Sunday's Great Ride for Cancer which was sponsored by the Ex- eter Lioness Club and the Canadian Cancer Society. Ride nets $3,200 More than $3,200 is ex - peeled from Sunday's Ladies Great Ride for Cancer in Exeter. Co -convener Rosemary Straw said Monday that the first tabulation of pledges from the 30 riders was $3,171.61 and she expected pledges from one other par- ticipant hopefully bringing the total.over 13,200. Prizes are given each year to the Iwo riders bringing in the most money in sponsor- ship. This year it was Marlene Malhers leading the way for the second straight year with 1310.25 followed by Susan Wilson at 5208 and .Diane Delbridge at $175. Other members of the over $100 club are Joan KelisbLin- da Wuerth, Marlene Moore, Marg Prout, Penny Disney, Sharon Kingrna, Beth McGregor, Linda Dawe, Marilyn Waldeck, Sherry Gilfillan, Grace Yearley. Mary Jane Taylor, Carol Darling, Cathy Norris, Diane Darling, Jackie Ilrudka, Laurie Dykstra and Marie Nethercott. ' fi • bidt year than last year. One mill raises $24,400 in Huron and Perth for separate school purposes. "This is due to the fact that our assessment base has in- creased by close to $1 million (this increase in 'assessment, which is becoming an annual event, shows that the support for our system continues to grow)," stated Marcy. The finance committee chairman pointed out that even if the board kept its ex- penditures equal to 1982, the 1983 budget would reflect a 6.04 percent increase.This means the Ministry of Educa- tion sets a mill rate tItatdeter- mines the amoulit the' board has tocolIect-fr'6u1'.rtattpayers before the amount of grant to be received from the Ministry isdetermined. In 1982 this local require- ment was set at 4.455 equaliz- ed local mills and in 1983 in- creased to 4.724 equalized local mills. "In simple terms this means that even if the board kept.its expenditures equal to 1982 - in other words absolute- ly no increase in expenditure we would be forced to in- crease taxes by 6.04 per cent," stated Marcy. Starting with that increase, the Iluron-Perth board also faced other increases 'over which it has no control. The inance committee chairman outlined them as follows: An increase of 10 percent on eneral energy costs; Seven percent sales tax on 11 school materials, including ext books which have risen in ost by a minimum of 13 percent; A minimum increase of 22 rcent in the cost of heating y natural gas because of the rovincial government's deci- ion to allow Union Gas to emove their group billing revision; An increase of 59 percent in he Board's share of nemployment Insurance premiums; An unexpected 17 percent crease in OHIP premiums st year and a warning of an crease for this year; An increase in premiums r Workmen's ompensation. "We should note ting this and pays approximately ,000 in statutory benefits per mployee. These are benefits er which we have no con- ol," commented Marcy. atutory benefits make up o percent of the hoard's sal budget. The 1983 budget increase f g a t c Pe b p s r p U in la in fo C bo 11 e ov tr St Iw to also reflects the staff in- creases for the French Core program expansions and the special education gifted pro - up gram approved by the board. Both programs will start iri September 1983 and will -cost a total of Sl0.000 for.the year. 6 Price Per Copy 50 Cents 12.53°,1. Capital projects in the system • have been set at 1476,000 of which *200,000 is for work on the bricks and U r • C ierosic' f ..... Carnation pay FLOWERS FOR MS — Members of fhe Exeter United Church CGIT group will be selling carnations on Exeter's Main Street May 7 with all proceeds going to Multi- ple Sclerosis. Shown at the back are leaders Cathy Mugford and Jan Flare. Front, Kim Murray, Michelle Ellison and Cheryl Hockey. i T -A photo. Exeter businessman, family lose home inr � oraart , fire For the second time in a month, an area family has been left homeless. Early Sunday morning, fire completely _ destroyed the recently renovated frame home of Ken and Barbie VanAilen and their two children about two and a half miles west of Cromarty. VanAllen, who owns Pronto Auto Centre in Kaeter. told the T -A on Monday that he has not been able to establish a loss figure for the home on which he has invested many hours and ' money in renovating for the past eight years. Some antiques and treasured family heirlooms were also lost in the blaze. The family was left with nothing but the clothes they- were heywere wearing when they left fora visit with friends ie,L,on' don on Friday. They had decided to spent the night there. but were advised of the fire and came back to view their loss. . The two children, TaUnya, 12, and Shane, 10, a it studeeta at Upper Thames Schoql at Mitchell. The VanAllen family have taken up temporary residence with neighbor$ Don and Karon McLelland at RR 2 Staffa while they peek accommodation. The fire was spotted by a Cromarty area man, Bruce Dow, who was driving a babysitter home The Seaforth tire department responded to the call, but the house was engulfed in flames when they arrived. "it's >i weird feeling to lose everything ,o4 . own." VanAllen said Monday, while quickly adding that he and hit' family would attempt to get started again as quickly as possible. He sbid nq cause for the blaze has yet been determined. READY TO RIDE FOR CANCER Ride for Cancer in Exeter. Exeter mayor Bruce Shaw and Canadian Cancer Society special events Chairman Cad Cann hold the banner prior to the start or Sunday's ladies Great roof at St. Mary's Separate School in Goderich. The re- mainder is for various roof repairs is to a number of schools. Marcy explained that the approval for the capital pro- jects has not yet been receiv- ed from the Ministry of Education. The local tax -- payer's share of the capital projects is about $100,000 with the Ministry paying 81 percent. The finance committee chairman noted that it would take 4.23 mills from local tax- payers to pay for the capital Please turn to page 2 Two.. curt in crashes Two area residents were taken to University Hospital this week for treatment of in- juries received in collisions. Ironically, both occurred on Algonquin Drive in Huron Park. On Thursday, Crystal Lowe, 16, a resident of Huron Park. fell off the back of a car - driven by Mitchell Allen, also of Iluron Park. She was taken to the London hospital for treatment of a fractured skull. The following day. a motor- cycle driven by Daryl Ray- mond, Norwood Village, Ex- eter, left Algonquin Drive, went into a.dilch and flipped over. The driver was taken to the London hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Damage to his motorcycle was listed at $1300. . There Were three other ac- cidents investigated by the Exeter OPP this week; two of them also occurring on Thursday. Vehicles driven by Lori Branderhort, RR 1 Hensall, and Phylis Deichert, RR 2 Zurich, collided on Highway 84 in Hensel! at Nelson St. Damage was listed at ;Lien. The other Thursday colli- sion involved vehicles operated by Dale Marshall, Huron Park, and' Wayne O'Brien, ItR 2 Centralia. They collided on Highway 4 at the Crediton Road intersec- tion and damage was estimated at 11,600. The other crash occurred on Saturday when vehicles driven by Alexander Ingram, Ilensa11, and Ronald Clarke, Huron Park, collided on con- cession 2-3 of Hay Township, south of Highway 84. Damage in that one was listed at $2,500. Visit planned by German Exeter's industry and tourism promotion commit - lee will be host to a German industrialist next fnonth. Reeve Bill &fickle told coun- cil this week that one of the contacts made by he and Mayor Bruce Shaw In their visit to Germany last year will be arriving in town on ,lune 19. ' He also indicated that another German businessman has expressed interest in visiting the com- munity and "and others will possibly be coming"