HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-03-09, Page 1Birt, H,i noh LXbrcr
Box 202
Blyth, Int ` NOM 1R1) k
Jan. 4
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WINGHAM FIGURE SKATERS competed at an inter -club in Mitchell
on Sunday and brought home a number of medals and trophies.
Those skating for the Wingham club included (back row) Tonya Stain-
ton, Jennifer Hunter, Leanne Simpson, Cheryl Underwood and Karen
Montgomery, and (front row) Patty Walker, Brenda Hallman and
Melissa Schefter. Medal winners included (middle row) Christa
Crawford, bronze; Nancy Walton, gold and Jeffrey Pettit Trophy for
novice ladies; Charles and Yvonne Tr pp; gold and Dupee Family
Trophy for novice mixed pairs; Patricia Daer, gold and the juvenile
ladies' interpretive free -skating trophy; and Tammy Storm, silver.
Skaters from 13 clubs around the region took part in the inter -club
competition.
Lowest rise in five years
Tax increase held to five per cent
in town budrosed for 1983 °'
Property taxes in the Town
of Wingham will rise by only
five per cent this year, under
a proposed budget which was
adopted by town council
Monday night.
This increase is the lowest
in five years, going back to
1978 when the tax increase
also was five per cent. Since
then taxes have gone up by
10.5 per cent (1979), 8.4 per
cent (1980), 14.6 per cent
(1981) and 10.5 per cent
(1982).
In presenting the budget to
council, Finance Chairman
Jack Kopas said a number of
factors have contributed to
holding down the tax in-
crease.
One is the provincial in-
flation restraint program,
limiting municipal wage and
salary increases to five per
cent.
Another and very im-
portant one is the $64,000
surplus accumulated by the
town over the past two years.
A third is what he
described as "bare bones"
budgeting, while the fourth is
the "careful and selective
utilization of various grant
Charges pending
following brawl
at Manor Hotel
Charges are pending
following a brawl in front of
the Manor Hotel in Wingham
last weekend.
Though it has been dif-
ficult to confirm details, it
was reported that at least
one person was taken to
hospital with injuries suf-
fered during the incident,
and a car was damaged.
Police were called to the
scene, but Police Chief
Robert Wittig said Tuesday
morning he was still piecing
together the details and
didn't have it all tied
together yet.
He confirmed there had
been a disturbance in front of
the hotel at around 2 a.m.
Sunday, during which a
vehicle was damaged, but
said he did not know yet how
many people were involved
or whether there were in-
juries.
He said police are
following up their in-
vestigation and charges will
be laid.
programs," such as the
Ontario Neighborhood
Improvement Program
which will contribute
$175,000 to streets and
selected other services over
the next several years.
In all, spending is forecast
to rise by $106,370 in 1983 to a
total of $1,978,800, an in-
crease of 5.68 per cent over
last year, while .the revenue
from local taxes will rise to
$1,348,200 from $1,283,981, an
increase of 5.001 per cent.
The difference is ac-
counted for by the $64,000
surplus carried over from
last year, Mr. Kopas ex-
plained, since the revenue
from provincial grants is up
only marginally over last
year.
He also.. noted that this
budget assumes that the
levies required by the public
and separate school boards
will rise by not more than 15
per cent this year, and that
the increase in the county
levy will be held to five per
cent.
He explained later that his
committee had checked with
the School boards and the
county, and these are the
increases they anticipate
when they complete their
budgets later this spring.
The idea that the school
boards could increase their
spending by 15 per cent while
the town is trying so hard to
hold its own to five per cent
rankled with some coun-
cillors.
"Every year we have to.
cut back the services in town
just to pay the school board
increase," Councillor
William Crump complained,
saying he was sorry to see
the board coming in with
such a high increase once
again.
"1 insisted they hold me to
five per cent, and they did!"
Mr. Kopas, a teacher, joked,
adding he is a bit puzzled
that, since 70 per cent of the
school board budget is
devoted to salaries which are
held to a five per cent in-
crease this year, spending
would be up so much.
He said he is hoping for
some explanation.
The last time the town held
its tax increase to five per
cent, it finished the year with
a deficit of nearly $100,000,
and finance committee
members acknowledged
they have considered that
risk.
Some budgets are so bare -
boned the committee felt
there should be some ad-
ditional money to cover
unforeseen expenditures,
Mr. Kopas said, so it has
allocated $15,000 to the
working capital reserve and
$18,100 to the reserve for
capital expenditures,
providing a margin of
breathing room.
Councillor James ' A.
Currie, another member of
the committee, said the one
thing uppermost in their
minds was balancing .the
desire to come in with a
budget palatableto the
taxpayer against the "high-
risk game" of running up a
deficit.
"We're running on the
very sharpedge of the
sword," he said, "and I hope
we don't fall on it in
December."
The low tax increase was
accomplished by holding
down spending increases in
most major budget areas to
between five and six per
cent, and Mr. Kopas ex-
pressed his appreciation to
all the people involved in the
budget process.
The largest item in the
budget is the payment to
. chool boards and county,
which it is estimated will
amount to $734,200 this year,
up from $648,713 in 1982. This
includes a payment of -
$124,500 to Huron County (of
which $31,500 is returned
through a county road
grant), $306,300 to public
elementary schools, $16,100
to separate schools and
$287,300 to high schools.
Next -largest item is the
roads budget, set at -$396,200
this year, up from $322,861.
The police budget is $238,300,
24
up from $226,389, followed by
debenture payments of,
$106,900, down slightly from
$108,943 last year.
Administration expenses
are set at $100,800, up from
$95,659; recreation has a
budget of $76,100, up from
$71,888; property is $69,300,
up from $66,005.
The budget for garbage
collection is down to $43,200
from $55,267 last year, since
last year's budgetincluded
the cost of a survey and site
plan for the dump. The
budget for fire protection is
also down slightly to $38,100
from $38,653, which included
purchase of a new fire truck.
Council adopted the budget
in principle, subject to
confirmation of the
education and county levies,
and authorized all depart-
ments to proceed with
spending within the budget
guidelines.
MYTH
Tank still structurally sound
PUC stands by itstandpipe
pending new engineer's report
Despite concerns ex-
pressed recently in some
quarters, the •Wingham
Public Utilities Commission
is sticking by its standpipe —
at least until a further in-
spection planned for later
this spring can give a clearer
picture of what lies ahead for
the concrete tower.
At a PUC meeting last
Thursday, two commission
members tookissue with
statements by a member of
town council that the nine-
year-old standpipe is
"done".
They pointed out that an
inspection of the tower
carried out two years ago for
the town, at the request of its
underwriters, concluded the
tower is structurally sound.
And, although they have
been disappointed by the
apparent failure of an ex-
tensive repair project to cure
"weeping" through the
concrete, they have had no
reason to change their
minds.
"I was concerned with the
way it came out in the
paper," Commissioner Rod
Wraith commented. "It
seemed (council) thought we
should tear down the stand-
pipe .immediately."
Mayor William Harris, a
n enibeir of to commissionv.
said that Was"just T atise Of
the way it was reported,
claiming council was not
that concerned.
However when Mr. Wraith
read him the statements
made by Councillor James
A. Currie, the mayor
responded that "maybe if
you lived there you'd be
concerned too." (Mr. Currie
lives on Summit Drive, not
far from the standpipe.)
He said that people all
think of the Southampton
water tower which failed
several years ago, and
although he knows this is a
different type of concrete
construction, it is hard to
explain.
The mayor also expressed
some apprehension about the
money being spent on
repairs to this standpipe.
"Where do you stop?" he
asked, adding it would be
terrible to put a lot of money
into repairs, only to have to
tear down the tank anyway.
"Basically waterworks
AWARDS WON—Wenger Publications won five awards
at the annual convention of Ontario Community
Newspaper Association in Toronto on March 4. The
Wingham Advance -Times placed third among papers
with circulation§ of 2-3,000 and the Mount Forest
Confederate placed second. The Confederate also won
best editorial page and best advertising in the class.
Barry Wenger of Wingham, OCNA President Ron Tyler
of Barrie, and Dave Wenger of Mount Forestoshow off
the plaques.
comes under the town, so
they (councillors) are
concerned," he added.
"Thank God they are con-
cerned."
"It bothered me that if
there was that type of con-
cern, why not come down
here and talk to us about it,"
Mr. Wraith told him.
BILL GRANT, a student at the Wingham Public School,
placed second in his division at the zone finals held last
Saturday at the Clinton Legion for public speaking. Bill's
topic was "Writing Speeches ", and he was second in a
group' of 12. He is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Rea Grant
of Wingham.
He also objected to the
apparent assumption by
some critics that had the
PUC put up a steel tank
instead of concrete it would
have avoided later costs.
Steel tanks must be painted
periodically, inside and out,
he noted, which can be a
considerable expense.
He also said that at the
time this tank went up, back
in 1974, the town would not
have been able to get a new
steel tank for several years.
The decision to build with
concrete was not just one of
economy, he said, it was
concrete or nothing, and the
commission did considerable
research to find the best type
of tank.
He said he still is not
convinced the decision was
wrong, since, despite the
problems, the basic design of
this tank appears to be good.
PUC Chairman Roy
Bennett added that if the
town had put up a steel tank
costing $500,000 and it stood
for 70 years, "divide that up
and if you had to tear this
down today it wouldn't be
"a-WY—more expensive at
$110,000."
Commissioners noted that
the engineers are scheduled
to come back in May for a
eompgete inspection of the
staritllpip, inside and out, at •
which time the PUC will
have a better idea where it
stands. They offered to meet
with council at that time to
discuss the report and make
sure councillors understand
what is going on.
PUC Manager Ken SaXton
said he wants to get a report
from the engineers on what
is needed, how much it would
Continued on Page 5
It's a dog's life
Animal control job
abolished by council
Canine culprits in
Wingham can breathe easier
this week. At least for the
moment, it appears there is
no one on their tails.
In one of its final acts
before adjourning Monday
night, town council voted to
dissolve the position of
animal control officer. It
then deferred action on a
follow-up motion which
would have instructed the
town police to assume those
duties.
The motions led to one of
the most heated debates the
council chambers have seen
in recent years, not only
because of the content but
because of the way in which
they were brought to council.
The battle raged primarily
between Councillor James A.
Currie, chairman of the
police committee, who in-
sisted the matter should
have been handled through
the committee, and Deputy
Reeve Patricia Bailey, also a
member of that committee,
who said it is her right to
bring any motion to council,
though other councillors also
gotnvolved.
Earlier in the meeting, as
part of his report, Mr. Currie
had proposed having the
animal control officer, Owen
Curtis, conduct a house-to-
house census of dogs in
Wingham, for which he
would be paid 50 cents per
dog. This would enable him
,to get acquainted with pet
owners and ensure all dogs
are properly registered and
licenced, Mr. Currie ex-
plained.
At that point Mrs. Bailey
and Councillor William
Crump introduced a motion
to do away with the position
of animal control officer,
which they said is not needed
since there is not a major
problem and police are
already doing much of the
work.
Pointing out that this
motion had not come from
the police committee, Mr.
Currie declared it out of
order and refused to have it
discussed as part of his
committee report. The whole
matter was then moved to
the bottom of the agenda.
Telling council the com-
mittee had discussed the
matter thoroughly before
bringing its recom-
mendation, Mr. Currie ac-
cused Mrs. Bailey of acting
in bad faith and taking
"cheap shots" athim and the
police. He said that although
she is a member of the police
committee she did not stay
at the meeting where this
Continued on Page 5
Surprise party held
for Morrison Sharpin
Over 90 members of
Morrison Sharpin's family
gahtered last Sunday at the
Wingham Armouries for a
surprise party to help him
mark his 92nd birthday.
He was born Feb. 26, 1891,
on the fourth concession of
Turnberry to Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Sharpin and was
educated at Kirton's School.
in 1918, he married the
former Rosia Merkley and
they lived on a farm on
Turnberry's fifth concession
until retiring to Minnie
Street in Wjngham in 1968.
Today, Mr. Sharpin is
active and enjoys good
health. llis favorite pastime
is playing euchre at the town
hall.
Two of his three daughters
attended the celebration. He
also has 18 grandchildren, 41
great-grandchildren and
four great -great-grand-
children.