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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1999-06-09, Page 24 2 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednepdayjune 9, 1998 In the News Helen Johns re-elected after close race with Liberais Continued from front page committed to a strong Ontario." said Johns who will now concentrate on trying to ease the riding's feeling of job insecurity. She will also get the communication level between the people and the government back up, which she said was slackened due the campain. Johns ended her speech by telling her assembled supporters "I am one lucky young lady." Huron -Bruce returning officer Bruce Shaw said if you coloured the riding like a graph, the part of Bruce to the north would be almost solid red, the area around the county boundary would be pink and the south around Exeter would be a sea of blue. "I'm pleased with how it went," a weary but smiling Johns said the day after the elr She said her team knew i ig to be a close race with Lamont. Johns sa tifference was the fact people simply like what Premier Mike Harris has accomplished and the direction the Tories are headed in. She pointed out the rally 'for Harris in Goderich was one of, if not the biggest, in the campaign. She also had high praise her dedicated team of vol- unteers from Exeter and Stephen and Usborne Townships. "I'm continually surprised by the amount of time people volunteered to get me re-elected and have me stay in politics," she said. Rumours have it Johns will be made a cabinet min- ister by Harris since three incumbent ministers, including Education Minister Dave Johnson, were knocked off by Liberals. Johns laughed at the prospect. "I think we should wait and see about that," she said. Johns does have a Masters of Business Administration and has served as a parliamentary assistant in a few business -orientated portfolios dur- ing her first term in office. Till that suspected appointment announcement is made, Johns will focus on issues her constituents have identified while she was knocking on doors on the election traiL: Those issues include finding out more information on the funding formulas for rural municipalities and South Huron Hospital's emergency room situation, kidney dialysis at Goderich's Alexandria Marine and General Hospital and getting the ball rolling on pro- posed medical clinics in South Huron. The Huron -Bruce constituency office is closed this week so the staff and volunteers can take a breather Johns will have to open a new office in Bruce County to take care of her constituents there and will probably move her Exeter office off Main St. when the lease expires. Both the Exeter and Wingham offices are expected to remain in those centres. Johns was elected with fewer votes in the '95 provincial election with about 15,000 votes but the Liberals and NDP were both far back battling neck and neck for second with about 7,000 votes each. Here is how communities in the Times -Advocate coverage area voted: •Exeter (including Exeter Villa): Johns, 1,492; Lamont, 820; McQuail, 192; Freiburger, 36. •Kippen: John$, 89; Lamont, 52; McQuail, 5; Freiburger, 5. *Zurich (including Bluewater Rest Home): Johns, 308; Lamont, 284; McQuail, 66; Freiburger, 30. •Hensall (including Queensway Retirement Home): Johns, 381; Lamont, 236; McQuail, 81; Freiburger, 18. •St. Joseph: Johns, 173; Lamont, 132; McQuail, 40; Freiburger, 4. •Dashwood: Johns, 236; Lamont, 162; McQuail, 47; Freiburger, 17. •Grand Bend/Grand Cove Estates area: Johns, 390; Lamont, 226; McQuail, 48; Freiburger, 13. •Huron Park/Centralia area: Johns, 243; Lamont, 183; McQuail, 93; Freiburger, 11. •Kirkton/Woodham: Johns, 132; Lamont, 71; McQuail, 33; Freiburger, 5. •Crediton: Johns, 223; Lamont, 154; McQuail 29; Freiburger, 8. Total votes in Huron -Bruce were 45,990 (including spoiled and unmarked ballots) out of a possible 67,702 (the total names on the list of electors) for a 67.9 per cent turnout. Shaw said there is ususally about 64 per cent turnout in the former Huron riding, but he anticipat- ed a turnout of 75-80 per cent for this election with all the anti -Harris protests. "It just didn't materialize," Shaw said. "It's appalling. It was such a low turnout." He said Huron -Bruce didn't have any of its deputy returning officers or polling clerks call in sick or sim- ply not show up without good reason like some other ridings. Some ridings even reported bomb threats keeping polling staff away. — with files from Margaret Stapleton and Joe Thompson of the Wingham Advance -Times. _ Tax break in store for Exeter ratepayers Continued from front page Bell pointed out those with a home assessed less than $100,000 would get less of a break and those with a higher valued home would get a bigger break. The tax break was achieved through a reduction in the town, county and education portions of the mill. rate. The town's budgeted total revenue and surplus for '99 is. $2,681,469 com- pared with last year's actual $2,462,058 total revenue. Because the town has to balance it's books accord- ing to the Municipal Act, it is spending the same amount as it takes in which is up from last year's figure. Any surplus generated last year must be accounted for in this year's budget. Bell called the '99 town budget "a bench mark budget" since it is the last one before the town amalgamates with Stephen and Usborne townships. Little changes were needed for the town's department budgets like the Exeter and Area Fire Board, the Rec Board, Exeter Public Cemetery, sewer system or waste management. Council deferred discus- sion on how to spend the province's $240,000 Special Circumstances Fund grant. The issue will be on the June 14 Committee of the Whole agenda. Topping the wish list is a new roof for the South Huron Rec Centre, mov- ing the Victoria Park wading pool to the Rec Centre, a new foul line fence at Alvin Willert Field, a skateboard pad and many other items. The new arena roof is by far the most costly item and could cost $100,000 or more. The town has a reserve fund set up for the roof. Re-elected. Huron -Bruce MPP (PC) Helen Johns is tired but happy after winning a second term in office. Health forum held Continued from front page open. Hodder said doctors can't be forced ,to work in Exeter but added the best thing for the town would be for doctors to move to Exeter and raise families here. "Exeter is a lovely place," Hodder said, saying the town needs a medical clinic to attract doctors here. Adamson added that attracting doctors is an "extremely competitive" task and said hiring nurse practitioners — who can perform more duties than a registered nurse — would help with the work- load. South Huron has already hired a nurse prac- titioner. - South Huron director of nursing Maureen Cole concluded the meeting by inviting the public to a hospital meeting on June 16 at 7:30 p.m., which will involve discussion of a possible medical clinic for Exeter. Harris and the Tories easily gain second term EXETER — Ontario's electorate has spoken and they want another dose of Mike. Harris and his Tories were returned to office last Thursday by taking 59 of the Ontario Legislature's 103 seats. The Liberals captured 35 and the New Democrats garnered nine; three fewer than needed to have official status in the legislature. The shortened 28 -day t•. election campaign was waged primarily over issues of health care and education. Voters clearly endorsed the Tories' 'Commonsense Revolution' by giving the party a majority government to continue their policies into the millennium. Harris's win gives his party their first back-to- back majority govern- ment in 28 years. }� " • ar t :+ • Big items included in Harris's second -term platform entitled the 'Blueprint' include a 20 per cent tax cut and spending on highways, high-tech links, univer- sities and other pies, of the province's infra- structure. "We'll continue to reach out. And I hope that people will see that some of these fears .that were put forward (dur- ing the election) were simply not true," Harris said during a news con- ference in North Bay over the weekend. Harris also said he hopes to get back to business by shuffling his cabinet within two weeks. He has five vacancies to fill as a result of the retirement of two minis- ters and the defeat of three others including Education Minister Dave Johnson. The premier also dis- cussed the possibility of changing legislative rules so the NDP could retain party status but no firm announcements were made. Voting chaos The June 3 election has been mired in alle- gations some polling officials were threat- ened which led to unstaffed offices and voting chaos in some ridings. A bomb threat was even reported in a Toronto riding. Liberal leader Daltotl McGuinty has eve' called for the resigna tion of Warren Bailie. Ontario's Chie Electoral Officer. This was the first time Ontario has not hat enumerators prepare 1 voters list. Election Ontario instead relief on a permanent registr; based on federal statis tics. :et