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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-04-26, Page 1INDEX Births — 23 Weddings — A9 Sports — A10, All Hensall — A7 Dublin — A7 Physio department receives equipment. See page AS. ,,G i�> :six .F.3 Lei a>"`oi��sh,:. i`"«: °�''�' }} ht k r. ak }�., r `"'sY4�isz • eY� 4 "gg%i`k' s`.r'' �a'•,y - ,5.. '�^ � '� �..•',Yt� �rt�,.,r'p•. __ , t ���i2an. 3 �'.,'..���i P^ : _z�'i'�,.a . 7'.Y.a'. , ��� ugh „i,, < � . SX unities )rth, in, Hensall Seaforth, Ontario HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1989 50 cents a copy Moderate budget passed The council of Tuckersmith Township passed its budget for 1989 with a 4.03 per cent increase in the general municipal levy. In Mill Rates the increase will be 0.203 of a Mill, to bring the total for general municipal purposes to 5.243 ( without county or board of education) . "For us to come up at four per cent is cer- tainly advantageous to the overall in- _ crease," commented Deputy Reeve Bill Carnochan. "A real concern of ours is trying to keep tax in line." Mr. Carnochan observed the financial situation in the township as of the end of 1988 The township has budgeted for ex -pen- looks good, as the township has a new shed, ditures of $1,751,729 in 1989, and is expecting a new grader, and now faces no large revenues amounting to $1,242,955. So, the capital expenditures in the coming year. township will be goingto ratepayers for $598,774 for general municipal purposes, and will levy an additional $77,500 for reserves, for a total levy of $586,244. For comparison, in 1988 council budgeted for expenditures of $1,867,756, revenues of $1,312,338, and $90,000 for reserves "I think it's a realistic budget. We're at four per cent.and that's under the cost of liv- ing increase," says Reeve George Cantelon. Mr. Cantelon noted there must be some in- crease in taxation, because all the township's costs increase due to natural inflation. Mr. Cantelon says council is expecting to see big increases from both the county and the board of education, but that isn't necessarily why the township passed what it feels is a moderate budget. "We're just holding the line," says Mr. Cantelon. "it seems we're in good shape and we're able to do it." The largest portion of the 1989 budget will be spent on roadways, for which $497,500 is budgeted. Day Care is a going concern with an allocation of $228,950; $198,937 has been budgeted ,for the recreation centre; and general government will cost the township $196,700. Major sources of revenue excluding taxa- tion: $648,829 will be received in govern- ment grants, $144,000 will come from parks and recreation fees, $58,000 will be generated through daycare fees, and $163,000 will be made in tile drainage payments. PHONE DEBENTURE In other township business council passed a bylawto authorize the issuance of a deben- ture to the Tuckersmith Telephone System in the amount of $1,100,000. This money is required for the telephone system to buy computers for switching and Turn to page 2 0 HCBE 'hikes budget 10 The Huron County Board of Education be spent in the elementary panel, $22,989,026 . passed a $51,000,000 budget calling for in- will be spent in the secondary panel, and creases of approximately 10. per cent to mill $500,000 will be spent on special projects. rates. The 1989 budget increase will bring Trustees noted that while board spending • the-.board'a,Ccntribntion• to-the"t'tr'and is increasing -by about four per cent' this residential mill rates in the county up to 10 year over 19883he increase.to ratepayers..is trills higher due to provincial withdrawal of The effect is that on the average farm and education funding. • residential assessments of $44,000 in Huron In the board's budget, figures show that County, there will be an increase from $398 Province of Ontario grants now make up 50 for education in 1 t to about $440 in 1989. per cent of the secondary panel revenues, At the budget meeting Monday night at where last year they made up 54.3 per cent. the Education Centre the board adopted its There was a slight rise in the grants estimates, but the budgeting process is not available from 1988 to 1989 in the elemen- projectset pweere placedbefoin reotposed he board for tariecial o grants nel, mad1985 64.7 per ceProvince t of the consideration of inclusion in the 1989 budget. elementary revenues. In 1989 they are These projects include items like alarm pro- budgeted to account for 62 per cent. tection, paving and drainage, business Because of, this and other factors, the studies equipment replacement, and share. of the budget which municipalities computers. must pay has risen by over 11 per cent. As has been done in past years, the board "With the province not keeping up with allocated monies for the special projects expenses the burden falls on the local tax - and left choosing the projects to administra- payer," noted board chairman John Jewitt. tion. $500,000 will be spent on the special pro- "I guess we have to put pressure on the jects recommended by administration, and government to help us meet these needs." this will be reviewed by the board at its Of the increase the board put in its 1989 regular meeting in May. budget Mr. Jewitt says: • The total expenditures approved in 1989 "I think we need that increase to maintain amount to $51,051,000. Of this $27,564992 will Turn to page 16 • WHAT'S FOR SUPPER - These three cannibals, played by Seaforth Harmony Kings during their spring show, "Marooned". Marlen Vincent, Don McDonald and Don Andrews evoked The Kings gave two performances on Saturday. For more photos laughter from the audiences during a skit performed by the see page A3. Mcliwraith photo. Tuckersmith contends backhoe purchase The contentious backhoe some Tuckersmith township councillors would lure to buy has gone to tender. • The motion to ask for quotes on the new backhoe was 'passed three votes to two, as was an earlier motion that the Road Superintendent get prices on the backhoe: In both cases Reeve George Cantelon, Deputy - Reeve Bill Carnochan and Councillor Bill Dejong voted in favor of the motion, while Councillors Rowena Wallace and Larry McGrath voted against it. The backhoe purchase has been the cause of some debate among the councillors. The most recent discussions were held in public session at the regular township meeting on Tuesday, April 18, but discussion was held near the enci of the meeting after a private session (to discuss personnel matters). So the press had left the meeting, and there were no members of the public at the public session. But members of council had interesting reports of what came from the 15 minutes of discussion. At a later interview Deputy -Reeve Bill Carnochan said he views the backhoe pur- chase as "basically buying an attachment" for a tractor. He says the township now has a 1980 tractor which is not suitable -it has no cab, it is too small to easily load trucks, and it needs repairs including a new clutch. So, he says, the township can look for another tractor which is more suitable to the township's needs, and put a hoe on the back of it. FlFTH•ANNIVERSARY -::At the:fifthtanniversaryopen house at Lyon's'Foodmarket on .April 19 there:,W.ere h0spitaIi y.Sables,1100-, ags of,groeerles'valuedat:.:$11,each to be given,away,.andlAwhatatio:epiri4or,•,prixes, Seewhere„KetlyrMoNaughton;gives th 5 wheel.,aspin:While. Lyon9;assistant,MarragerRob:MeEwen.andPKnechtel's retail. coun ciilorE)OrPR,arieinsnnmatotil Ygseembat,sheiwinsg;O.oXbett;:photo, The tendering for the tractor with a backhoe will include a price for a trade-in on the 1980 tractor the township already has. Mr. Carnochan also clarified that the pur- chase of the backhoe is not going to be an ex- tra burden on Tuckersmith ratepayers, but is already included in the recently passed 1989 budget which has an increase of what he sees as a reasonable four per cent. And, he says, if the tenders for the backhoe come in unacceptably high, the money budgeted for it can go back into the general road budget. Those who oppose the backhoe purchase say there is a .problem in that the township doesn't have an experienced backhoe operator. Mr. Carnochan says "it is my feel- ing that we have people in the roads depart- ment who can learn that.” Another argument against buying a backhoe is that the township didn't spend enough on backhoe contracting last year to make it worthwhile, but Mr. Carnochan, referring to a backhoe report, says there are many occasions where a backhoe would be used if the township had its own, but where other means are used instead. "If there is a machine there they will cer- tainly use it a lot more than if they have to schedule a time to do work at a contractor's convenience," he says. Reeve George Cantelon echoed this state- ment. He has been in touch with Hay township, who have a backhoe and say "they do ten times what they thought they would with it." He too says that with the trade-in of the 1980 tractor the township may get the backhoe at a minimal cost, and adds that the point of tendering is to look at prices. OPPOSITION Councillor Larry McGrath takes a dif- ferent view of a backhoe purchase. "It's coming to a point where we may start to look like a construction company, and I don't think it's necessary," he has said. He points out that the cost of repairing the clutch in the tractor is $2,089, and says this is the first major expense the township has had with the tractor and that the machine is otherwise in basically good condition. "They've got along with it up to now," he says. "I would not replace the tractor for the sake of saving $2,089." He adds the road superintendent has indicated he would like to keep the tractor for at least another year. Mr. McGrath says that with the ownership of a backhoe comes responsibilites which are currently carried by contractors, such as fuel costs, the cost of paying an operator, and liability for anything the backhoe digs up - such as cable T.V. lines, telephone lines, hydro lines etc. On the financial front, Mr. McGrath calls the backhoe a "burden on the taxpayer," and says the township roads are going to suffer as work that could otherwise be done won't get done. He also says there are no grants available from the province for the purchase of a backhoe, as there are with Turn to page 20 HPRCS B supporters face 18% increase The major cost for the board this year is $10,840,300 for salaries and benefits, an in- crease of $1,659,000 over last year. With the extension of Catholic education to Grade 12 and French Immersion to Grade 6, enrol- ment will increase this September by about 155 students. There will be an increase in teaching staff of 11 teachers at the elemen- tary level and six at secondary. Other major expenses include $1,197,000 Turn to page 20 BY LOURDES RICHARD studies program. The $13.2 million cost for elementary education was cut by $395,000 before it was approved by the board. Among the cuts in the elementary panel were: two portables, a $50,000 library project (to bepoatponed fora year ), a,$5,000 writing curriculum,:$24,000 in furniture and equipment, and $20,000 for scienceand social studies. The board also used all of its $60,000 in reserves in its effort to cut costs. An $18.7 million budget was unanimously passed by trustees of the Huron -Perth Raman Catholic separate school board on Friday afternoon. Separate school sup- porters face an 18 per cent increase in education, taxes to. pay for a 7.8 increase in operating costs for education in 1989. A half a million dollars was cut from the budget in an attempt to keep increases to a niinirnum. Finance committee chairman Bon Murray said this year's budget was "one of the toughest" he's ever been involv- ed in. "We felt that was as far as we could go and still ,provide a good education," Mr. Murray said of the hefty cuts. This year's budget was the "20th and toughest" for superintendent of finance Jack Lane, who said revenue from the.,pro- vine was downfrom last year. Mr. Lane ex- plained that the provincial government's contribution to•the budget was 72.5 per cent this year, downfrom 77 per cent last year. 'The board cut ;$204,130 before, it .agreed upon ;spending $5.5 million for secondary 'education in 1989. Among the expenditure Buts -were: Iwo -portable elessrooms,:$4,000 .worth .of ,i:urniturear$21,730 computer .net- •work, :$331800 fora •chaplain iatldkan taddi- ;tionai teacher, nand .;an s51.100 Aogbnical A