HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-04-19, Page 1Early
fishermen
Coun
until
cil delays
1980
After several r
council passed a
of the Square side
Council passed
trim $22,000 from
budget for the ne
pletion of the work
Council had set
budget as their sh
lighting and brick s
Businessmen have
through a special bu
that totalled $25,0.00 an
New brick .sidewalk
four blocks of the Squ
have been erected..
With the $38',000 left in
will be completed an
sidewalks will be resur
two blocks will be compl
Reeve. Eileen Palmer
motion to cut the BIA c
could not support spending
"We already have the
support $60,000 for one pro
have to spread the money o
in one handfull."
Deputy -reeve, Bob A
claiming council had co
complete the project this ye
since the project was star
finished.
Councillor Elsa Haydon ag
saying council should live
mittment.
"We have the money and w
mittment so let's not agonize ov
"To delay it would only cause
inconvenience so let's get it over
A motion to complete the pro
was defeated and reeve Palme
Stan Profit, Jim Searls, Jim
Knights and Mayor Harry Wor
favor of deleting $22,000 from the
Deputy -reeve Allen, and councill
and John Doherty voted in favor of
the work this year.
Eliminating the $22,000 from t
saved the taxpayer less than one per
final tax bill.
Fisherman in the area are anxious to wet their
lines and with improved weather conditions
this week have been dotting the shores of Lake
Huron. The fishing season officially opens April
ecorded votes Monday evening
motion to delay the completion
walk_project until 1980.
a motion by a 6-3 margin to
the $60,000 set aside in the
w sidewalks to delay com-
ntil 1980.
aside $60,000 in the 1979
are of the cost for new
idewalks in the core area.
assisted with the project
sines improvement levy
nually.
s have been installed on
are and all of the lights
the budget' the lighting
two more blocks of
faced. The remaining
ted next year.
who introduced the
mmittment, said she
$60,000 in one•year.
lights •but I cannot
ject," she said. "We
ut and not give it out
Ilen, disagreed,
mmitted itself to
ar and added that
ted it should be
reed with Allen
up'' to its com-
e have the com-
er it," she said.
upheaval and
with."
ject this year
r, councillors
agee, Brian
ell voted in
BIA budget.
ors Haydon
completing
he budget
cent on the
Board wan
28 for rivers and streams in the area but many
anglers have been testing their luck early in the
lake waters. (photo by Dave Sykes)
E ducati �
mill rate
t
n increases
,.4 percent
BY JEFF SEDDON
The Huron County board of education ap-
proved its 1979-80 budget last week increasing
mill rates for public school supporters by an
average 8.4 percent.
In a special session Thursday night the board
had the budget explained in detail by
superintendent of business affairs Roy Dunlop.
The special meeting was arranged to permit
politicians in any of the county's 26
municipalities to discuss the $23 million
document with the board.
Dunlop told the board that the average in-
crease of the mill rate as a result of the
education budget varying effects on municipal
budgets, depending on local mill rates. He said
the board of education has nothing to do with
setting local mill rates, all it does is determine
each municipality's share of the costs to
operate the education system.
The lion's' share of• the $23 million in total
costs for education here is picked up by the
province of Ontario. After subtracting various
board revenues and grants from the ministry
along with the province's share of salaries and
transportation costs the amount to be raised
through taxation locally was reduced to $6.9
million.
The main culprit in the budget -was salaries.
Dunlop explained that it was unfair to focus on
any one salary hike in the system because each
had unique circumstances.
He explained that the increase that appeared
at the secondary school teacher panel was an
inflated figure because of the 31 day teacher
strike a year ago and the two year pact that was
signed after that strike. He said the reduced
costs as a result of the strike made it appear as
though handsome increases had been given the
teachers and that wasn't so. He meticulously
explained the affect the teacher strike had on
the budget pointing out that had withdraw] of
services not happened the board would still be
looking at an eight percent increase.
But the budget made 'one cact clear. The
major expense in any one area in the entire
education system is salaries. Payroll eats up a
total of 76 percent of the $23 million the board
spends in a year.
Dunlop said the bulk of the money spent in the
budget is beyond the control of the board. He
said salaries have to be treated as fixed costs as
well as debentures, loans and operating costs.
He said he had not calculated how much of the
budget the board had to work' with but
estimated that the maximum amount would be
10 percent.
The superintendent told the board the
majority of concerns department heads had for),
the coming year had been handled. He said one
area not adequately funded was aesthetic
maintenance.
He told the board there was "no way in the
world the schools can be kept like they were
five years ago we just haven't the money to do
it'
R.M. McVean, plant superintendent, ex-
plained that aesthetic maintenance involves
things like stripping floors and rewaxing them
and major housecleaning projects. He said
there is too much work to be done by caretakers
to permit time to be set aside for those projects.
He added that the board owned buildings were
not suffering because the jobs could not be
done.
132—YEAR 16
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1979
35 CENTS PER COPY
It's our responsibility to be nosey
BY DAVE SYKES
Members of Goderich town council maintain
they have a responsibility t� stick their noses
into the laundry at Alexandra Marine and
General Hospital.
In a recorded vote, council voted 6-3 in favor
of meeting with administrator,'Elmer Taylor
and Gordon Crabb, the council representative
on hospital board, to inspect the laundry
facility which will cease operation April 25.
Council decided to meet with Taylor and
Crabb after it received two letters from em-
ployees of the laundry department, asking why
the building was condemned and laundry was
being trucked to London.
In the two letters, employees, Sylvia Hoy,
Erma Hoy, Kryslyna Brudnicki, Florence
MacCuspey and Shirley Kennedy wanted to
know why the laundry was condemned, why it
is now baing done in London and indicated that
the closure of the laundry facility could result
in layoffs.
A motion tb have Taylor and Crabb attend the
next council meeting and exlain the situation
was defeated. Council opted for the motion
introduced by Reeve, Eileen Palmer. to meet
with them at the hospital and tour the laundry.
Councillor Elsa Haydon opposed the gang
tactic claiming council had no business in-
terfering with hospital board business.
"For council to collectively go to the hospital.
„ would be out of place since it is not our
business," she said. "I am sure we would not be
pleased if County Council or the Board of
Education came to Goderich to inspect our
departments."
The laundry building was condemned by fire
officials but councillor Jim Searls begged to
differ, claiming the building was in top con-
dition.
"The tunnel needs a bit of plaster and a truss
needs some fixing," he claimed. "But to spend
$150,000,on a new building is pouring money
down the drain -and.its unnecessary:"
Councillor James Magee supported Searls'
,.Claims and added that problems to the building
could be easily remedied. He also claimed that
laundry could he accomodated at the
Bluewater Centre instead of having it trucked
to London.
Reeve Palmer refuted Haydon's statements
about keeping clear of hospital board business
stating that if taxpayers were out of work it was
.council's responsibility. Councillor John
• Doherty reiterated' Palmer's sentiments ad-
ding that the town was helping to support a new
facility."The hospital board came and asked
council for $12,000 and we are entitled to some
ts council to mind own business
The board of governors of Alexandra Marine
and General Hospital don't think town council
has any business with thehospital laundry.
In a terse reply to council's motion to visit the
hospital laundry facility as a group before its
closure April 25, chairman Jo Berry said she
regretted that council members felt compelled
•to interfere withinternal operations and labour
relations. •
The press release stated that the letter
complaint from employees were entertai
and discussed by council without request
s of
ned
ing
Average t
BY DAVE SYKES
Goderich town council approved the 1979
budget Tuesday that will result in an average
increase of $29.52 for homeowners.
• Council gave final approval to a $5.5 million
budget that on an average assessment of $3,000
will increase the tax bill by close to $30.
The budget is up $1.3 million over last year
and the major increase is in the County Board
of
and,
equisition of $1,076,000 an in-
crease of 8.9 per cent over last year,
The town's general munucipal rate was held
to a 2.3 per cent increase to $4,065,557 while the
Huron County levy dropped to $372,000.
any information on the subject from the board.
Hospital• administrator, Elmer Taylor, said
that none of the employees of the laundry will
he unemnployed when the laundry services are
transferred to London. He said all of the full-
time and part-time employees have been
transferred to housekeeping or dietery jobs in
the hospital.
The release says the laundry operation's were
. ceased because of the inadequate facilities. Its. %
also states that a saving was .realized by pur-
chasing laundry services in London.
Operations aLthe' laundr.y facility will cease
April 25 and a new huilding.will be constructed
for laundry.and linen storage.
Council also wondered Why the Laundry was
not being done at the Bluewater Centre, where
such facilities are available. A spokesman said
the laundry could be done more cheaply and
more professionally in London.
Council has requested a meeting with Taylor
and Gordon Crabb, council's representative on
the hospital board, to tour the laundry facility
and answer some of the questions raised by
laundry staff.
ax increase is $29.52
On the total budget the taxes will rise an
average of 4.6 per cent for residential and 4.5
per cent for commercial interests. ,
In a breakdown of the tax increase for the
homeowner, $7.35 is taken up by the general
municipal increase, the county levy dropped by
15 cents while board of education levies ate up
$22.32 of the $29.52 rise in taxes.
The education levy was responsible for ap-
roximately 75 per cent of the tax increase in
the 1919 budget. This year board of education
expenditures increased by nearly $3 million to
$23,622,085.
The main reason council *as able to hold the
1?,';;:,
general municipal rate to a meagre 2.3 increase
was a $190,000 surplus accumulated last year.
With the surplus council was able to include
major expenditures of .$127,000 for the widening
of Highway 21, $109,000 for the NIP project in
the north-east section of town and $38,000 for
the Square sidewalk project.
General administration costs for the town
were estimated at $290,000 for 1979.
Major items deleted from the budget in-
cluded $22;000 for the comletion of the Square
beuatification project, $5,000 for a gateway to
industrial park,$19,650 for sanitary sewers in
industrial park, $10,000 for the paving of Delbar
Crescent and $13,300 for a new salt,truck box.
answers, " he said. "Because these are tax- Council has instructed Clerk, Larry McCabe
payers involved we have an obligation to in- to 'set up a meeting with Taylor and Crabb
vestigate the matter." before April 25. -
The shipping season officially opened in
Goderich last week when the Agawa Canyon
arrived here from Sault Ste. Marie. Captain
Claude Jeanotte brought the vessel in April 2
and was bustled off to the town hall whe e
Mayor Harry Worsell put the mayor's k halrn f
office and traditional top hat on the young
skipper. Jeanbtte was also given a town flag
I
and some souvenirs honoring the occasion. The
ceremony was the second in a row for the
captain of the Agawa Canyon. The same vessel
and captain opened Goderich harbor last year.
The first captain ceremony has been tradition
in Goderich since 1932. The Agawa Canyon took
on a load Of salt bound for Thunder Bay. (photo
by Jeff Seddon)