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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-05-01, Page 1meoposoforprae l FIRST SECTION a • Pp 0 IY Wingham, Ont 141, Ursday, May 1, 1975 Sire Copy Not Ov Separate. school levy to increase 3.4 1 mills There was one unexpected change in the mill rates pre- sented to the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate Scljool Board for approval Thursday night at a special meeting in Seaforth. Trustees were all set to pass the 1975 rates that levy an aver- age increase of 3.41 mills on the 10 various municipalities, when trustee Michael Connolly of Kippen told them he had already received his tax notice from Tuckersmith Township. "And they are billing at about 1.5 mills over what we had required. Mr. Connolly's tax notice from Tuckersmith set- the mill ratefor separate school purposes at 29 mills. The board's finance com- mittee had planned to set the rate 0 at 27.46 mills. HPRCSS board chairman David Teahen of Stratford said the township had in effect billed for the board. Business adminis- trator Jack Lane said the town- ship had every right to do that. He said he had had discussions with the Tuckersmith clerk last week and had told him the board expected to set mill rates at Thursday night's meeting. Mr. Lane said he had been under the impression then that Tuckersmith would wait to send the notices until the separate board had set its rates. He said the township was . ahead of the deadline set by the province for tax notices to go out by about a ty week. "I don't want to aggravate any- thing", Mr. Connolly said. "The clerk is just trying to do his job." He said he was just concerned to make sure that the taxpayers of Tuckersmith are credited with the money (the difference bet- ween the 29 mills and the board's• planned levy of 27.46 Mills) for next year. at "How can he set this mill rate? Why are we meeting here to- night?" Dublin trustee Joe Looby Wanted to know. If the board set the Tucker- smith levy at the estimated 27.46 mills, the township could hold the almost 1.5 mills for this year, Mr. Lane explained. The township will only give the board what it. • asks for, he said. Mr. Connolly and Mr. Lane attempted to phone the Tucker - smith clerk to make sure they understood the situation ' cor- rectly, but reported to the meet; ing that there was no answer at his house. Trustees decided to accept the mill rate of 29 as set by Tucker - smith instead of the 27.46 set by • the board and to apply the over levy as a reduction on the 1976 mill rate for Tuckersmith sepa- rate supporters. • Budget Separate school supporters in Huron and Perth counties face an average increase of 3.41 mills on their 1975 tax bills following the approval of the budget for this year Thursday night. The HPRCSS board approved a f budget of $3,432,258, up 18.4 per cent from 1974. Of this amount, less than 14 per cent or $451,753 has to be raised locally. $2,236.40 comes from provincial grants, • while revenue from other sources and from other_boards will con- • tribute 394,000. The average mill rate collected last year from supporters in the two counties was 24.05. This year" the average will be 27.46. Some municipalities will be higher than this and some lower but none will pay more that 3.5 mills than they did in 1974, Ron Marcy of Strat- ford, the board's finance com- mittee chairman said. Senior management and teach- er salaries and instructional supplies are budgeted at $2,053,000, up $355,752 from last year. Plant operation expenses - chiefly salaries for custodians - have increased- to -$184,020, -np- $14,729. Administration expenses are calculated at $189,655, an in- crease of $33,808 from 1974. Transportation expenses for board owned buses are up a relatively slight $16,799 to $341,500 for 1975. Plant maintenance expenses, including $30,000 for renovations to the board office, amount to $70,000, up $33,288 from 1974 expenditures. Other services, which include debt charges, capital from cut - rent funds and $700 in municipal taxes, will cost the board $371,483, up $53,088 from last year. In 1974 the board had an over- levy of $21,700. About $9,000 of this amount will be applied to the 1975 tax yield so that no munici- pality will face a rate increase of over 3.5 mills. The board went over the 1975 apportionment schedule, listing the mill rate required from each municipality in order to break even on the 1975 budget, before they accepted the budget, on the suggestion of Dublin trustee Joe Looby. "I don't know why we should accept the budget before I know what my mill rate is," Mr. Looby said. Trustees were also given figures on the mill rates for each municipality over the past 8 years. Finance chairman Roy Marcy said that the assessment equil- ization factor, a percentage which is set by the Ministry of Education, has a lot of bearing on• the mill rate, as well as the actual assessment figures. "The lower the equalization, factor, the higher the mill rates are going to be". Board business administrator Jack Lane said the equalization !'actor is set by the Ministry for their use ... "it's untouchable." Zurich area trustee Ted Geof- frey commented "one tninister told me they gr 'tibed a figure out of the •air to arrive at this equal- ized assessment percentage." Mr. Geoffrey said he suspected that the low equalization per- centage in Hay Township'was the result of an effort to attract tourism to the township which he thought was lowering the overall assessment there. Hay support- ers will pay the 3.5 mill maxi- mum increase. Vince Young of Goderich wondered how much cutting the amount the board spends per child. would affect the mill rate. Not much, finance chairman Marcy replied, because the board Minister awaits reports of area damage in floods Leo Bernier, natural resources minister, said recently that he is waiting for a full report of dam- age in Ontario communities af- fected, by flooding before deter- mining what compensation might be paid residents and business- men. Mr. Bernier told the legislature that vigilance and quick action by officials and volunteers pre- vented severe damage in many areas -some of which experi- enced the highest water levels in 20 years. He said he has been advised that a "minimum amount of damage" occurred in several areas. Liberal Leader Robert Nixon urged the government to commit itself to a compensation program similar to one last spring, in which the province matched flood -assistance funds raised by local communities. Mr. Bernier said he might make a decision in the "next few days." Communities which had flood problems included West Mont- rose. Bridgeport, New Hambut'g, Ayr and Paris on the urand River; St. Marys on the Thames ; Listowel, Wingham and Harris - ton on the Maitland and Welker - ton, Mount Forest and Paisley on the Saugeen, he said. On the Saugeen River, two small mill dams were washed out and the bridge on Highway 6 at Mount Forest closed because of under -cutting of one of the abut- ments. Mr. Bernier also said flood danger to most of the southwest- ern area of the province had gone because flood waters had reached or were approaching the Great Lakes, but danger still ex- isted in north and central areas because the snowpack has not yet melted. Ian Deans (NDP- Wentworth) asked when the province plans to introduce an over-all program to eliminate the annual hazard of flooding. The minister replied that Mr. Deans was not aware of the magnitude of the problem and it would be a long time and cost "an irntnense amount of money" be- fore a sointron was found. only has to raise about 14 per cent of the total budget. The finance committee had worked ouhat removing an expenditure of $20,000 from the budget would only reduce taxes by one seventh of a mill. About 25 of the municipalities "are getting hit with" close to the maximum, Mr. Young estimated. The new mill rates will "raise what's required, taking into account the 1974 overlevies and still leave some surplus", Mr. Lane said. The budget increase this year is not out of line, "considering the teachers' strike, rages- and- our raises", trustee Looby com- mented. The 1975 mill rates, with the 1974 figures in brackets are: Clin- ton 29.92 (27.66), Exeter, Sea - forth, 26.14 (23.13), Goderich, 33.57, (30.18), Wingham, 31.95 (29.29), Bayfield 34.95 (31.45), Hensall 26.55 (23.43), Zurich, 31.29 (29.96), Ashfield, 31.47 (28.50), Colborne, 30.92 (28.21), Goderich Twp. 28.50, Grey 25.36 (24.72), Howick 25.55 (22.0), Hul- lett, 25.18 (24.22), Morris, 22.99 (20.10), Stanley, 26.12 (22.629 Stephen 31:19 (31.19). Tuckersmith 29.0 (25.42), Hsi 34.41 (30.91), McKillop, 26.4 • (23.88), Turnberry$ 25.63 (25.20; East Wawanosh, 27.34 (24.47), West Wawanosh 23.21 (23:,21 Biddulph, 27.75 (24.25), McGillt.. vray, 33.45 (33.45), Culross, (5.40), Kinloss 5.36 (5.36) (bolt. townships have been reassessed,. by the province to bring property assessment more in line with market value) . East Nissouri, 28,50 (25.0), West Zorra, 30.10 (26.60), Strati ford, 30.75 (27.25), Mitchell, 22,75 (19..-964, St. Marys; -6.57 -MOP- (assessment 6 O t -(assessment here has also been equalized by the province), Blan- shard, 32.50 (29.0) , Downie, 31:94 (28.44), North Easthope, 35.54 (32.04) , South Easthope, 28.25 (24.75), Ellice, 27.46 (24.54), Hib- bert, 25.48 (23.50), Logan, 27.95 (25.83) Mornington, 31.80, (28.39), Wellesley, 32.11 (28.61), Mary - borough, 28.05 (24.62) , Peel, 24.42 (21.37), Usborne, 24.88 (21.38), Wallace, 26.21 (22.71) , Blyth, 27.20 (24.20) Fullarton 25.20 (21.70). THE WINGHAM KINSMEN CLUB elected its new execu- tive last Tuesday night at a closed meeting, but they un- veiled the 1975-1976 officers fora picture at the end. They are: front, Past President Andy McBride, President Murray McLennan, Vice -President Rene Jones, Secretary Ralph Harrison; back, Registrar Bob Crawford, Treasurer Paul Moody, directors-rLarry McDonald, Ian D_esl.auriels and Stan Chadwick. Absent from the line-up was Vice - President Dale Heibein. eighbors come to rescue land problem n Wingham's If "a friend in need is a friend indeed," Wingham can consider itself very lucky. Because the town seems to . have three very good "friends" in neighboring Turnberry, Morris and East Wawanosh Townships. • Representatives from the three townships met Monday night with the Wingham Planning Board d, members. of c the Wingharq - Tfor i lupus o-tlie p .ol leminvolved with expansion of '-the town and the need for land.' Morris' Township was repre- sented by Reeve Bill Elton and Deputy Reeve Jim Mair. Simon Hallahan, reeve of East Wawa - nosh, was present, and Deputy Reeve Don Eadie and councillors Dave M'cCallum and Jackson IT'S NOT EVERY TEACHER who can turn out five first - place winners, but Murray Hall of Wingham did just that. All five of his violin students placed first in their classes at the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music last week. Frank Leahy, one of the winners, gets a few pointers from Mr. Hall. THESE TWO BELMORE violinists are just two of five students instructed by Murray Hall of Wingham who were first in their classes at the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music last week. Marilyn and Allan Kieffer placed first with a duet performance. IT'S A WINNING STEWING SECTION but they don't play together. These violinVsts repre- sent 'five students of one teacher -and five first -place winners in the Grey County Kiwanis Festival of Music. They are: Jane White, Teeswater; Marilyn Kieffer, BelrFinre: Mike Leahy, Teeswater : Alyn teleffer, ec!mc;-e, Frank Leahy, I eeswater. Their violin teach- er is Murray Hall of Wingham. Duncan represented Turnberry Township. Andy McBride, vice-chairman of the Wingham Planning Board, explained that "this is mainly an information meeting." He said the planning board has discussed the need for expansion . of the Wingham area but was stymied by a basic problem: "Where does Wingham go now if it wants more land?" Gary Davidson, a planning consultant with the Huron County Development Board, slightly ex- panded the area for discussion at the meeting. He explained that the county board has received several requests for development in the Wingham area. Instead of dealing with the applications piecemeal, he explained, the board decided to do a study of the entire area to ease the planning. He said the board wants "to get the general feelings of the municipalities" on the subject of area development. Mr. Davidson cited the need for highway com- mercial land and industrial land as primary concerns. "There is very little left," he said. The township representatives were, if anything, more than eager to help. Mr. Elston explained the stand from the view of Morris Town- ship: "In my honest opinion, for the benefit of us all, we have to have these things ... if we are to be a viable community. We must expand. I'm happy to see these things happening ... We're going to have them, and if we don't have them, the people won't be here." Wingham is necessary to the neighboring townships, he ex- plained, citing the benefits ac- crued to everybody from the motel and the availability of the town as an industrial and shopping area,. "I'rb quite ready to work with anybody in Wing - ham to bring more things to Wingham for the betterment of the. community," he concluded. Mr. Mair was just as emphatic: "I'm glad this meeting is taking place ... I'm sure that as far as Morris Township is concerned, we see the problems and would be wil}ing to help." He explained that he had been a member of the county planning board for the last two years. "We did sort of come to a conclusion at the end of last year that our most critical places ware around the edges of certain towns and 1 think maybe Wing - ham is just about one of the worst ones." The theme of enlightened self- interest was basic to most of the comments. The views expressed by township representatives reflected the opinion that an expansion and growth plan for Wingham could be of benefit to all the neighbors. Mr. Hallahan said East Wawanosh Township looked to more than just mar- ginal expansion: "1 would like to see, Wingham expand to six or ,seven thousand people." Mr. McCallum of Turnberry Town - !Mir, said lir was also in favor of expansion for the town: "I'm glad to see Wingham is looking to the future." Some of the major concerns aired by the township repre- sentatives with respect to growth plans were the undesirability of scattered development and the preservation of class one agricul- tural land for agricultural uses. Eadie said "I think there is lots of room for expansion ... but I don't like the idea of seeing Writings here and there!" 'Mr: - Davidson explained that this is an important question, and one that was originally a concern for the county board aside from the question of annexation of land for Wingham's expansion. "What we would like is ideas on what you want in this area," he said, ad- ding the statement that the meet- ing is "a means• by which development in this area can pro - Damages over $500 in two accidents Damages amounted to more than $500 in two separate inci- dents which occurred last week in the jurisdiction of the Wingham -detachment of the Ontario Pro- vincial Police. There were no in- juries in either mishap. On Tuesday of last week, a car driven by Muriel L. Fox of 121 Confederation Street, Glen Wil- liams, struck a parked car owned by Donald C. Hyde of Stratford when it was backing out of a parked position. Damages were estimated at $275. Leo Selent of RR 1, Tiverton, was westbound on Highway 86, east of highway 87, on Thursday when a deer jumped in front of his vehicle, causing an estimated $300 damages to his vehicle. During the past week, the Wingham OPP detachment charged eleven persons under the Liquor Control Act. Nineteen.. charges were laid and 33 warn- ings issued under the Highway Traffic Act and two charges were laid under the Criminal Code with 31 other investigations made. Flood, in 1948 In this issue of The Advance - Times you will find some pictures which have been loaned to us by Mrs. Stella Cowan. They show some of the scenes of devastation during the 1948 flood and provide some interesting comparisons with the high waters experienced this year. Mrs. Cowan says the pictures were taken by Wilf Arthur. In the 1848 flood the CPR bridge over the Maitland, east of the present Hanna Bridge was wash- ed out under pressure of ice and its parts and pieces came to rest atop the Howson dam. Earthen fill had been washed out at both ends of the dam and with the ex- tra pressure created by the wreckage of the bridge it was surprising that the rtnm did not go out as well. The flood was the sec- ond worst on record, exceeded only by the 'high water of 1912. ceed according to the wishes of the municipalities." Mr. McCallum said that his concern is the use of good agri- cultural land for other purposes. He asked that Wingham consider the poorer classes of land for pos- sible expansion first. Mr. Mc- Callum explained be was aware . that some class I land would haVe to be used for 'development, but itaked'itlie kept to a ' th 'niMum. There was no sense- or urgency to the discussions Montlay. Deputy Reeve Harold- Wild ex- pressed the general opinion.: "We don't have to really hurry on these things." He said he thinks there is still enough land for resi- dential development, but agreed on the need for industrial and commercial -j,and. "It's not too soon to sit down and take a long look at it. There's always a way around these things. But it's a step in the right direction to sit down and talk about . this now." Mr. Davidson explained that a lot more talking would be done. He said the county board would proceed with an impact study of the area, prepare a preliminary plan and present it again to all the interested groups for opinions and changes.l'As far as annexa- tion, he explained, "the onus has to be up to Wingham." He said he didn't want to commit himself on land preferences, but outlined a basic plan for expanssion center- ing on the north and northwest areas, with as little development as possible toward the east. He said a tentative meeting could be scheduled for . the summer months to further discuss the situation. Police report two car thefts The Wingham Police Depart- ment.reported two car thefts last week. On April 22 a car belonging to a Burke Electric employee was stolen from behind the store. The car was located in London later that same evening. A juvenile of- fender has been charged in the case. A car stolen from Mount Forest was also recovered by the police last week. A charge of dangerous driving has been laid against Ronald R. Soloman as a result of a high- speed chase early Saturday morning. The police have also laid a charge under the criminal code as a result of two disturbance complaints investigated Satur- day. Four charges were laid under the Liquor Control Act, and police investigated one minor accident and two complaints of vandalism to vehicles resulting in minor damage. Grass fire The Wingham ' Fire Depart- ment was called out Saturday to put out a grass fire on the fourth concession of Morris Township. The fire was on the property of Harold Hartlieb of ll;elgrave.