HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-03-02, Page 1NO. 9
FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
President explains O.F.A. position
THURSDAY,MARCH 2,
Should be assessed
By RHEA HAMILTON
The combined fears of
government takeover of land
in the future and urban
residents viewing grant
system of taxation as han-
douts to the farmers, were
not soothed Monday night.
Peter Hannam, president
of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, spoke to a
concerned crowd of over 200
people at the Clinton High
School, Monday night to
explain the OFA policy on
the property tax reforms
being proposed by the
Ontario government.
FIRST FACEOFF — The first faceoff in the Zurich section of the annual Zurich -Garden City
hockey exchange took place Saturday afternoon between atoms Jerry Smith of Zurich and
Mike Ryan of Garden City. Dan Turkheim is the referee. Staff photo
Principal says no March
.
exams at local high school
Principals of Huron's five
secondary schools met
behind closed doors in
Clinton Monday to discuss
strategy if the dispute bet-
ween the Ontario Secondary
School Teacher's Federation
and the Huron county board
of educationcontinues for
any length of time.
While principal Bob Ritter
of F. E. Madill Secondary
School in Wingham refused
to make any comments
about the recommendations
that thb principals will put to.
the board, principal Joe
Wooden of South Huron
District High School in
Exeter said that the March
exams scheduled for next
week will be cancelled. The
principal said that in class
tests and other forms of
evaluation will be used to
form a second term mark.
To make up for the spring
exams, a June examination
period has been scheduled
for the local high school.
Wooden statedthat some
form of recommendation
program will be instituted so
that all students will not
have to write the final set of
exams.
John Cochrane of the
boards office said that no
action will be taken on the
principals recommendations
until the board's regular
meeting .this Monday.
Night classes in Huron
have not been affected, the
Collison- at Crediton
Only one accident was in-
vestigated this week by the
Exeter OPP, along with two
thefts and one recovered
automobile.
The accident occurred on
Thursday and involved
vehicles driven by Patsy
Neeb, RR 1 Zurich, and
Lillian Hulley, Londesboro,
They collided on the
Crediton Road at the in-
tersection of County Road
21. .
Damage was listed at $1,-.
100 by Constable Al Quinn.
The thefts were reported
by students who reside at
Bruce Hall at the Centralia
College of Agricultural
Technology, The items were
taken while the students
were on holiday from
February 17 to 26.
A turntable valued at $208
was reported missing by
Kenneth Scanlon, RR 1
Londesboro, while a
magnetic cartridge valued
at $120 was taken from
Norwin Rae, RR 1 St. Pauls.
Constable Frank Giffin is
investigating.
On Thursday, Constable
Jack Straughan located a
car behind the Dufferin
Hotel, Centralia. It had been,
stolen earlier in London.
During the week, the local
detachment officers laid 10
charges under the Highway
Traffic Act, four under the
Liquor Licence Act, one un-
der the Criminal Code and
four under- the Motorized
Snow Vehicle Act.
Exeter principal said, as the
night classes are taught on a
volunteer basis by the
teachers and as such are
-Please turn to Page 5
Price Per Copy 20 Cents
Inequities will remain
on productive value
Mr. Hannam and Bill
Benson, 2nd vice president of
the Federation went over the
history of tax reform which
started in 1975 with the
proposal that government
pay 100 percent of the taxes
and 'a leis be put against the
land and be payable by the
farmer if the farm is taken
out of productivity in the
following ten years.
The Blain report came
next and suggested that
there were too many uses for
the tax funds. Therefore
reduce the needs and then
that in turn would lesson the
taxes. This is known as
property tax for land use and
people tax for people ser-
vices. •
A long terns tax solution
would see the removal of
education tax from property
tax and would . involve
reform in income tax,
property tax, sales tax,
corporation tax and
everything would have to be
assessed and re -divided up.
This would take years. '
"Until people services are
taken off of property tax
there will remain many
inequities" said Hannam,
"Therefore . the OFA has
suggested a short term _
alternative until that time."
The OFA wants the farms
assessed on productive value
determined by the gate to
gate sales.
This land would be defined
as tax free.
The municipality would
then take a mill rate for the
land total land declared tax
free and submit a bill to the
province for the taxes.
With this proposal there
the farmer is not identified
with the farm land. One
cheque to each municipality
would cut costs.
Having the land legislated
as tax exempt would make it
free from being changed by
the whim of the government.
The farm residence would
be taxed just like (everyone
else) urban homes with
consideration made to
location and services.
The Rural Ontario
Municipality Association
assessment department can
produce productive values
for all farms and can be
brought into place as quickly
as market value assessment.
Benson told the crowd.
In Nova Scotia and some of
the states have already
made farmlands and
buildings exempt," Mr.
Benson said "As long as I
pay taxes like every other
householder thats ac-
ceptable. Tax exemption is
seen as government and
province setting priority in
food policy. To the urban
consumer this is acceptable
only as long as it doesn't
cause a stir on the shelf."
Benson pointed out.
The questions from people
there ranged from why the
need for tax reform to
trespassers being hard to
take care of.
Some people felt there was
a thin line between a grant
and taxes and felt that in
years ahead they would lose
ownership of the land.
Mr. Hannam pointed out
that the precidenee in the
courts • concerning the
payment of taxes is the
lowest indicator of owner-
ship. "Land belongs to
whoever is named on the
deed" said Peter.
"As to the future, the
government could take over
your land tomorrow. We can
anticipate all kinds of fearful
possibilities in ten years
time. But who's to say what
can happen" Hannam told
the crowd.
Gerry Ginn, warden for
Huron County, was present
to comment on the need for
grant reform in so that
townships would not be
paying more. "The OFA
proposal is acceptable to me
as a farmer and a council
official" said Ginn.
Hobby farmers were also a
subject of conern. The
definition of a farmer is
anyone producing"over $2,000
in one year is elegible for tax
rebate.
"I don't know what the
government has in mind but
they should.raise `costs' and
have other criteria' for
determining farms" said
Hannam.
"The OFA is using scare
tactics on the farmers" said
Eilleen Palmer who of
Goderich who represented
the urban resident. "I
support the market
assessment and feel that the.
farmers are capable of
forming a decision and
making up their own mind-
s."
Merle Gunby summed up
what many should be,
thinking about.."This is the
best we have come up with,
yet. Whats the alternative?"
said Gunby. "None have
been suggested yet."
The OFA needs to know the
impact"on the communities
and has to date not replied
formally to the government.
"No more compromising"
assured Hannam. "We are
open to the direction of our
membership."
The Huron County
Federation will take a vote
at a later date as to how they
support the proposals.
ADVANCE TO DUBLIN — St. Boniface of Zurich and Ecole St. Marie dominated a four school public speaking competition
held Thursday in Zurich. The first and second place finishers will advance to Dublin next Thursday for the finals of the Huron -
Perth Separate School elementary school public speaking competition. In the senior competition (back row, left -right) Lorraine
Ducharrne of St. Boniface placed second, Gerard Bedard of Ecole St. Marie finished first and Raymond Oesch of St. Boniface
was third. In the junior competition, Charlie Bedard of Ecole St. Marie was second, Nancy Overholt of St. Boniface took the top
spot and Angela Fleming of Mt. Carmel placed third. Staff photo