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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-06-04, Page 1• a Mil 23 1_21 YEARS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 491986 50 CENTS Clinton taxes are, up 6.5%a By Anne Narejko. CLINTON - Taxpayers will be faced with a 6.5 per cent increase ontheir next tax bill. After "many, many, many extra hours of work," council passed the 1986 budget during their June 2 meeting. "It's up 6.59 per cent (for the public school supporter) which is very realistic considering the extra overhead in the town hall and so on," commented Mayor John Balfour. While the public school supporter faces a 6.59 per cent increase, seperate school sup- porters will face a 6.44 per cent raise. The budget totals $1,622,365 (but does not include Huron County levy) with substan- tial increases shown in street lighting, sanitary sewer systems and the industrial committee's budget. For the public school residential tax- payer (based on a $3,000 assessment), the 1986 budget will mean an increase of $67.14. For the separate school residential taxpayer, it will mean an increase of $65.78. The commercial public school tax- payers' will be faced with a $78.98 increase and the cornmercial separate school sup- porter will see, an increase of $77.39. Expenditures The major increase in this year's expen- ditures is under the sanitary and sewer system. Council has budgeted $50,000 for work on North Street, upgrading of the sewage treatment plant and television in- • spection and smoke testing. Prior to introducing the budget on June 2, council passed a motion to enter into a contract with Lavis Construction to repair the sanitary sewers on North Street in three locations. The contract is for $17,893. The repairs are ones which can not be put off. Last year, the town spent $4,702 on the sanitary sewer system. Another increase in the budget is for street lighting. Council has increased this by 75:27 per cent over last year's actual amount. This puts the figure at $72,908, up $31,311 from the 1985 figure of $41,597. This figure includes the 85 street light units which will be installed in town. Another major increase is seen in the in- dustrial portion of the budget. Last year $5,079 was spent and council has put $23,750 in the same account for 1986. This money is to be spent on the industrial park area on a new road, water main, legal fees and advertising. Substantial decreases were also shown on the expenditure side of the budget as well. While administration wages have in- creased by 24.9 per cent ($117,500 for 1986 from $94,076 in 1985), the miscellaneous ex- penses have decreased by 11.38 per cent ($56,351 from $63,587). The expenditure totals for the different categories under council are as follows: General Government $308,200 Protection to Persons and Property $354,987 Transportation Services 490,800 Environment Services $200,732 Health Services $22,680 Recreation/Culture $193,328 Planning and Development $51,638 Revenue In the revenue portion of the budget, council is anticipating receiving an addi- tional $27,542 over last year's figure of $20,762. However, they except to receive 7.94 per cent less for street construction and maintenance and 13.9 per cent less for winter road maintenance. They also ex- pect to receive only $2,000 from grants for other projects, which includes the town hall, where they received $26,794 in 1985. Also on the revenue side, it is expected that $2,500 will be raised by renting the auditorium where $1,299 was raised last year. Education Costs The public school expenditure will be $328,824; secondary school will be $265,592 and separate school is set at $22,330 for a total of $616,746. On the revenue side, taxation is set at $309,380 for public schools; $250,730 for secondary schools; $21,700 for separate schools for a total of $581,810. In the same category, the town will receive $22,040 from Bell Canada for telephone receipts and $12,698 for grants in lieu. With their over payment of $198 from last year, the revenues equal the expenditures at $616,746. • On May 31 Central Huron Secondary School hosted its first air band competition. This is part of the band that portrayed the group Toronto, performing the song Girls Night Out. The group, comprised of Sandy Carter, Deanna Bell, Cheryl Bromley, John Scruton and Rob Armstrong took first place for their raunch 'u' roll performance. (David 'Emslie . photo) CHSS STARTS IN FALL Co-op education in Huron EXETER - An experimental program in Over the next four years, 420 students will co-operative education introduced as a pilot have three eight-week work placements, project at South Huron District High School spending alternate days on the job and in the in Exeter during the current school year has classroom. Students will get invaluable ex - received federal and provincial funding to perience prior to applying for their first full - expand into all five regular secondary time jobs, be exposed to a variety of career schools in Huron County by 1989. choices, and discover what employers re - Bob McCall, superintendent of operations quire in dress, attitude and work habits. for the Huron County Board of Education, Those completing the program will earn reports that the federal ministry of employ- three academic credits, two work-related ment and immigration will spend $193,000 and one for in -school studies. spread over the next four years on the pro- Prospective employers are co-operating gram, and the provincial government will enthusiastically. (Only 40 per cent of poten- contribute almost $40,000 in the first year tial employers were used in the work week through its `co-operative education and and world of work programs at county transition -to -employment incentive fund. schools.) Eighty-five placements are being Future contributions from Ontario will be offered in the co-op program in the Exeter contingent on satisfactory interim and an- area alone. The range spans municipal of- nual reports from the Huron board. fices, hospital, hanks, insurance offices, bot - The grants are the result of months of tling plant, construction companies, work by McCall and South Huron assistant automobile dealerships and garages, technical director Jim Gladding (who machine shops, retail shops and service oc- moves up to 'director in September) in 'cupations: The response in the Clinton area . preparing detailed applications for has also been "tremendous"according to Doctors uncomfortable with strife By Shelley McPhee-Haist CLINTON - The word "strike" does not sit • wellwith doctors here but on May 30 they supported the Ontario Medical Associa- tion (OMA) move to close offices in protest to government action to end extra billing.. "Doctors felt uncomfortable with the strike," Dr. T.A. Steed of Clinton reported to the News -Record this week. "Things had to get desparate and to this position." The strike was meant as a sign of protest from Ontario doctors against government legislation to ban extra billing. It was also designed to make the public more aware of the doctors' concerns with the government. Doctorsstressed that the strike was not meant to inconvenience patients. Dr. Steed stressed, "services weren't withdrawn, no one was denied service." Cheryl Hohner of the Clinton Public Hospital Emergency staff said, "we were not run off our feet and we expected to be." Thursday and Friday saw only slightly higher numbers of patients receiving medical care at the emergency department, however on Saturday morning more than 26 patients were seen over a two-hour period alone. Mrs. Hohner suggested that the overload on Saturday may have been a result of the doctor's offices closures. Doctors in Clinton remained on 24 hour du- ty while their offices were closed and Dr. Steed described it as a "work to rule" system. He further noted that some doctors ex- tended office .hours the day previous to the strike to accommodate extra patients. Dr. Brian Baker of Clinton, one of the sleight doctors who participated in office closures noted, "The two day strike wasn't meant to damage anybody." ' Be explained that theaction was taken to "bring our problems to the public attention." -The problem as he sees it is a "total loss of freedom. In. a free society you're supposed to- have alternatives." Doctors feel this freedom is being taken away with the Ontario government's move to ban extra billing by doctors. Presently no doctors in Clinton 'operate under an extra billing system.,Dr. Steed ex- plained, "It• doesn't effect me now as a physician, but we want that option to remain open. If we become dissatisfied with the government we can opt out. If the govern- ment becomes our sole Source of income we're afraid they can turn on and off the s become LOU controversia . their cause here in Clinton and across the F.E. Madill Secondary School m in am, chosen to s co expertise, Dr. Baker believes that the general public province, Dr. Steed noted, "We would all Goderich District Collegiate ,Institute and and builds a mutually beneficial partner - is failing to see the problem from the doc- like to get this behind us and get back to Seaforth District High Schodi in the follow- ship between businesses and schools in com- tors' viewpoint. He said, "Our problem is a practicing medicine." ing two years. munities in Huron County. total loss of freedom. They (the public) can't appreciate that. They don't believe it can happen, but in fact it will." Dr. Baker stressed that the issue is not one of main concern with his patients. "Pa- tients come to me to get well. I'm not here to ' burden them with my political problems." However, patient care and hospital ser- vices could in fact suffer in the near future if the OMA takes further extended strike action. Doctors remain uncertain whether the OMA executive will carry out. the threat of longterm withdrawal of services, but Drs. Steed and Baker suggested that such a move would be supported by OMA members. "The government and the people feel that the OMA executive is pushing this, but it's not true," Dr. Steed said. "The OMA membership is more aggressive than the executive." Dr. Baker said that the government has used "knee jerk" actions against the OMA, and in turn the doctors are now using similar tactics in the war over extra. billing. "My colleagues will be taking unpredic- table actions in the future," he suggested. Doctors are being asked by the OMA to withdraw their services from voluntary boards in hospitals and the medical com- munity and physicians in Clinton are cur- available funding The provincial proposal Mr: McCall. was among 102 submitted by boards across By implementing the co-op program, the Ontario. Huron board will be carrying out its • philosphy of encouraging the development taps as they please." • rently discussing such action. Mr. McCall, who had been involved in co- of each individual to his or her maximum Dr. Baker said that the government action Dr. Steed said the move would show that op education in Wellington county, credits academic, social and emotional growth to implement the new legislation was doctors are involve4c�.in ma .y unpaid volun- the initial spadework and subsequent potential, thus enabling each to func . on as a p"We're tai roles, butJle.fttttlief ggested, "It will assessment of the strengths and weaknesses cotnpeted't; "'Teblitributing end.;. res onsible against civic rights an hh stressed,et1`j' of the Exeter project obtained from South member of society. tied into a system that's copletely hurt the hospital and that's not who our pro -totalitarian." blem's with." Huron's guidance head Rick Graham, as Last, but by no means least, the Doctors fear that the move by the govern - Personally; he said sucha mov would be well as access to other boards with similar beleagurecl taxpayer will benefit too. The a setback in his work with ,pre entative programs, for providing the basis for the federal funds will be used for salaries of ment is only the beginning of further battles medicine. It would mean his withdrawal of successful grant applications. teacher/monitors and a program co - between Queen's • Park and the Ontario services from •family planning clinics, for •The Exeter school will offer the program ordinator, fringe benefits, travel for Medical Association (OMA). example. again for the 1986-87 term, and co-op educa- monitoring, conferences, long distance "Bill 94 isn't the end, it's the beginning of If the work to rule action by OMA is,ex- tion will be introduced at Central Huron phoning and consumable supplies. more repressive legislation," Dr. Steed tended, it could mean that •patients would re- Secondary School (CHSS) in Clinton in The provincial money will pay the salary suggested. , main hospitalized, longer than normal and September. Initial enrolment in each school of one' resource person, and a further $9,600 "We're not ending with this, we're just Dr. Steed said that such a move "will tie up will be 30 students selected from the basic, will be used for purposes such as buying a The beginning," Dr. Baker added. needed hospital beds and will hurt the general and advanced Grade 12 classes. safety helmet and steel -toed boots that may between ethe OMA and the goveernmentwith patients." Emphasis will be on employment prepara- be required on a job, or any other needs tnat mixed reaction. The war on extra billing has been waging tion for those students who do not plan fur- might otherwise place a financial obstacle Dr. Steed has found support among small for months now. and no peaceable solution ther education, and on specialized training in the way of a student wishing to take part appears to be in sight at this time. for those who will .continue with post- in the program. business people because, "they can draw "Both sides have painted themselves into secondary studies. Mr. McCall is excited about the impact analogies with their work." a corner," Dr. Steed said, "There doesn't Mr. Graham will be in charge of the Ex- the co-op education progam will have on the He suggested however that public support _seem to be any middle ground and that's eter program, and guidai a teacher Linda county. The total cost has been estimated at for the doctors'case is beginning to wane what frightens me." McKenzie will oversee the one in Clinton. "$403 per student. This will be a bargain if it . because the debate has gone on too long and While doctors believe in solidarity for Co-op programs will be established at equips over 400 young people to enter their 1 1 ' W' h h f' ld with confidence and • Resignation requested, investigation underway BLVTH - Rwmors are running rampant along the streets of the village this week regarding the recent resignation of the clerk -treasurer tarry Walsh. While gossip and heresay continue to be lie order of the day. in the village, Blyth dwell said that ea of Tuesday, June 3 they ere not prepared to issue a statement as to he nature of Mr. Waistes resignation. Reeve Albert 'Wasson was unavallable for comment on Tuesday, however Councillor Bill Towson told the News -Record, that council had accepted Mr. Walsh's resigna- tion at the end of last week and an investiga- tion was currently underway. Councillor Howson would not elaborate on the nature of the investigation, but he said that council would be prepared to issue another statement nett week. Larry Walsh was the clerk -treasurer in Blyth for 13 years. ,...:eNiu.Av... 1-5-0 ron Centennial School students took part in another StanleyTnwuship event on May 29 when they formed the numbers 1-54 in honor of the, township's sesquicentennial. While in the formation of 10; 485 students released balloons with their names attached. Wat- chithe activities from the sidelines were F"aithTaylor and her one -year-old daughter th ey.• Another youngster was also on hand to take in the event. (Anne Nerciko photo)