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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1983-05-04, Page 1to uA Incorporating Brussels Post 50c per cop; • jrnu: a (fxpos1tDrt SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WE13NESOAY, MAY 4, 1983 -- 22 PAGES Separate school budget up 12.5 % Separate school taxpayers in Huron and Perth will pay an average of 537.50 more per 55,000 assessment to raise 51,528,900 as the local share of the 1983 budget. The Huron -Perth Separate School Board approved a 57.622,314 budget for 1983 at its April 25 meeting. This is an increase of 12.53 per cent over last year's budget of 56,783.402. The local share increased from 51,295,800 in 1982. Chairman of the finance committee trustee Ron Marcy of Stratford reported that the board will be able to hold its increase to 10 per cent because of a 546,000 surplus last year and because one mill raises 5900 more this year than last year. One mill raises 524,40( in Huron and Perth for separate school purposes. This is due to the fact that our assessment base has increased by close to 51 million (this increase in assessment, which.is becoming an annual event, shows that the support for our system continues to grow)," stated Mr. Marcy. . The finance committee chairman pointed out that even if the board kept its expenditures equal to 1982, the 1983 budget would reflect a 6.04 per cent increase. This means the Ministry of Education sets a mill rate that determines the amount the board has to collect from taxpayers before the amount of grant to be received from the Ministry is determined. In 1982 this local requirement was'set at 4.455 equalized local mills and in.1983 incre sea-ts4.124 equalized local mills. In simple term 's means that even if the board kept its expenditures equal to 1982 - in other words absolutely no increase in expenditure, we would be forced to increase taxes by 6.04 per cent," stated Mr. Marcy, Starting with that increase, the Huron - Perth board also faced other increases over which it has no control. The finance committee chairman outlined -An increase of 10 per cent on general energy costs; -Seven per cent sales tax on all school materials, including text books, which have risen in cost by a minimum of 13 per cent; -A minimum increafe of 22 per cent in the cost of heating by natural gas because of the provincial government's decision to allow Union Gas to remove their group billing provision; •An increase of 59 per cent in the Board's share of Unemployment Insurance premi- ums; . •An unexpected 17 per cent increase in OHIP premiums last year and a warning of an increase for this year; -An increase in premiums for Workmen's Compensation. ' "We should note that this board pays approximately 51,000 in statutory benefits per employee. These are benefits over which we have no control," commented Mr. Marcy. Statutory benefits make up two per cent of the board's total budget. The 1983 budget increase also reflects the staff increases for the French Core program expansions and the special edhcation gifted program approved by the board. Both programs will start in September 1983 and will cost a Total of 560,000 for the year. Capital projects in the s) stem have been set at 5476.000 of which 5200.000 is for work on the bricks and roof at St. Mary's Separate School in Goderich. The remainder Is for various roof repairs to a number of Schools. Board chairman Ron Murray said he was "pleased" to see the budget passed at the meeting. He noted that most of the trustees, while not all on the finance committee. attended the budget meetings. A breakdown of the budget is as follows: •Salaries and benefits, including teachers, 'administration, secretaries. trustees. custo- dians, etc.. 55,536.587 or 72.6 per cept of the total budget: ' -Transportation, 5954,850 or 12.5 per cent of the total budget; -Energy. plant operations and mainte- nance, 5416.533 or 5.5 per cent of the 1983 budgets -Operating supplies and delivery of pro- gram. 5714.344 or 9.4 per cent of the 1983 budget. Huron board taxpayers will pay 10.5 Huron Comity taxpayers AFL pay 10.5 per cent ntorelthan in 1982 to the county board of education in 1983. A budget passed by the board Monday will mean an increase of about 537 over last year's education tax bill for a county resident with a 53,000 assessment, Expenses are up 9.5 per cent but, "the ministry contribution is dow5i so the local contribution has to go up." says director of education. John Cochrane. % more A 1" per cent increase ght be necessary, board chairperson Dor by Wallace esti- mated in her inaugural speech earlier this 'year. However. the boar reduced expenses to produce a budget that s 15 per cent over last year's. Then a $300.00 surplus from last year was used to redui t e amount to be raised from taxes to the 10,5 per cent, Mr. Cochrane said. More detailed information on the board's budget will appear in next week's Expositor. Tax ,arrears here double since '77 Tax arrears per person in Seaforth .have from a six year low of 5169.000 in 1978. more than doubled in six years. What's happened to the town's population As they increase, interest costs increase, in that time? Well, it's up; 2.141 in 1982 says accountant Archie Leach of Atkinson. (based on 1981 census figures). compared to Leach and Neill, "therefore it's a very 2,070 in 1977 and a six year low, 2,031 in significant number to follow." • 1978, The number of households in town is A six year review of town finances shows also up. to 885. two more than in 1981 and 31 1977 tax arrears at 516.25 per person. Last more than six years ago. year they were 544,53. Back in 1977, arrears While total dollar value of assessment. were just 6.59 per cent ot'the total tax levy; in residential, commercial and industrial, is up 1982 they were 12.91 per cent. a bit over 1981. per capita assessment Arrears took a big jump, of more than 512 declined to 51.312 from 51,347 the year per person, from 1980 to 1981. when they before. But that's still higher than 51.180 in increased to 539.38. 1977' The only other increase to more than The number of full time town employees double over the six years is the amount dropped last year. from 14 in 1981 to 12 which Seaforth collects in taxes and then transfers is back to the 1977 level. Seaforth had four to the school boards. In 1977 that was part time employees last year: that's up one 5168,000; last year it was 5314.000. from the previous five years. Capital expenditure by the town was less One figure has stayed absolutely constant last, year than six years ago, 54,7„000 as;,, over Scaforth's past sh{t years. it's the town's compared 10 5262.000 back in 1977,'but up area in.. acres, 575 -of them.', . Hibbert . protests high farm property assessments YOUNG, SEAFORTH and area fishermen braved the ram last Saturday to enter the annual Seaforth Sportsman Club trout derby. Many were successful, landing their first fish of the season, Three Mitchell area lads were only too willing to display their catch. The largest fish was caught by Tawnya Taylor. She caught a 14 inch rainbow. Approximately 125 fish were caught. Over 200 fishermen and their parents participated. The derby opened at 7:00 a.m. and ended at 2:00. (Wassink photo) High property assessments have promp- ted Hibbert township council to write Perth county council and its member municipalities to recommend that the Ministry of Revenue develop a "more equitable" methof of determining property taxes; , . Hibbert council agreed 10 write county council after discovering its share of county property taxes was the highest in the county even though 6 has one of the smallest populations in the county. And, because the assessment is high, the township would have to increase spending by 15 per cent if it is to receive the maximum grant from the government to spend on roads. The reason for the high assessment is the high Market value of farm land in the tow nship. Jerry Morgan of the Assessment Office of the Ministry of Revenue told the Janice Murray seeks job hunting advice from Student Employment Centre supervisor, Angelina Arts EAR SPLIT ING-Ears were covered when,a Seaforth fire truck siren was turned on during a tour of the irehall last Thursday. Students of the Tuckersmith•and Lady Diana Nursery toured the fire hall, climbed in fire trucks and tried on the fire chief's helmet for size. Kendra Bosman clamps her harids over her ears as she waits for the siren to blow second e d7v time. Several young tykes said they wanted to be firemen when they g up. asked where the pole was! (Wassink photo) SDHS grad is new director of 'education R.B. (Bob) Allan has been named the new graduate of SDHS, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. director of education for Huron County. Edgar Allan of North Main St. The Huron County Board of Education There were 34 applicants for the director's chosen Mr. Allan , currently superintendent job and a board committee interviewed six of of operations with the board, at a meeting on them last Saturday, says retiring director Saturday,.,A.pril30•11e-wUl Ort=at..g.s> Y••,,••tgba? 5, chi; , u:zi r,� 6& �, of •559,910, •-.. Mr: Cochrane, o to sa s)te Y et goody A resident of Clinton, Mr. Allan has been about Mr. Allan's appointment, plans to superintendent of operations with the Huron "throw out the alarm clock" when he retires Board for 11 years. He will replace John in June. The present director is moving to a Cochrane, who retires in June. house and five acres in W. Wawanosh Mr. Allan. a Tuckersmith native who's a Township. council members. A few good sales of tarms have driven up the property assessments. he said, Reeve Ivan„Norris said that the market valde was inflated since the land would not support itself at those figures. He recom- mended that the council write to Perth county council with the suggestion that it complain to the Association of Municipalities in Ontario ( AMO) about the "yardstick” used to determine property taxes. The only other way to attempt to change the assessment would be to prove at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing that the property taxes were too high and then to convince the rest of Perth county to pay the remainder of Hibbert's taxes. said Mr. Morgan. Jim Moore is vice principal He and his wife Jan and family live on Goderich St. W. The vice principal's job was, posted within the Huron County Board of Education system. says director of education. John Cochrane. Mr, Moore was one of about half a dozen applicants. Scaforth resident Jim Moore, head of the history department at Central Huron Second- ary School. has been named vice-principal of Scaforth District High School. Mr. Moore. who is a former SDHS teacher, starts his new job in September. He replaces Harry Scott. who moves up to be principal. Damages $100,000 in Hibbert fire Estimated damages of 5100,000 were wife and two children wpt'e in London. caused by a fire which levelled the home of Neighbour Jack Kinsman said a passer-by Kenneth Van Allen, located on Lot 24, alerted him to the fire but the two storey Concession 10 in Hibbert township early house was engulfed in flames by the time the Sunday morning. Seaforth fire department arrived. Seaforth fire chief, Harry Hak said a cause has not yet been determined. When the fire started, Mr. Van Allen, his students find the market hunting is tightown a little bit more than This summer mmer. 18 -year-old Janice Murray of RR4. Walton needs a job more than ever before. With plans to attend Conestoga College in the fall, Janice is not too picky about what kind. "I'm hoping to get any job," she says. "i really need one this year so i've been trying harder than ever." Although she's been actively looking for work since February, Janice hasn't had much luck yet mainly because of her limited experience, she says. She finds herself caught in the same situation that traps many students looking for work. "It's hard to find a job if you don't have experience but how are you supposed to get experience if you have no job?" Janice's parents have offered to help with the expenses of college but Janice worries about being a burden to them. "1 don't feel right about asking them to pay for the wholelexpense; I'm going to college, not them,' she says. Janice is one of the increased number of students registering at the Canada Employ- ment Centre for Students this year for help finding a job. Registration at te centre in Goderich has increased by 57 percent from last year, according to supervisor Angelina Arts of Seaforth. "Students are trying to get out there early for the jobs and you can't fault them for that," says Ms. Arts. Ms, Arts, whose job it is to help find jobs for the 583 students who have registered with the centre in Goderich so far, says students have few preferences about the type of job they're looking for; almost any job at all will satisfy them. And, although she admits that the centre could never find every student a job, Ms. Arts says it should be possible to locate quite a few lobs. She and her staff are visiting every business in the area around Goderich (including Seaforth) to recommend mer- chants take advantage of the Ontario Youth Employment Program which pays them 51.25 per hour for each student between ages 15 and 24 they hire in the summer. Last year 530 million created 55,000 jobs in Ontario through this program. The Student Venture Capital Program is another government program which offers job opportunities for students who have some initiative. An interest-free loan of 52000 is available to students who wish to start their own small business over the summer. The loan is almost always granted if the student researches his or her idea so that he or she is able to tell the bank if there is a need for the business and how the money will be used. The banks are instructed to help the studenyt through the procedure involved YOU SHOULD GET IT "if you're honest and fill out the application to the best of your knowledge, you should get the loan," says a Royal Bank spokesman. The Royal Bank in Goderich handles Student Venture loans in this area. Sonya Virgottini, of the Royal Bank in Toronto says that three loans have been granted in the Goderich area and other students can apply until Jun�ee 15. "You would only be denied if you participated last year and defaulted on the loan," she says. The centre in Goderich ran out of applications for that program very quickly, says Angelina Arts. Students are starting to create their own jobs because they realize there aren't too many out there,' she says. Guidance teacher at Seaforth District High School, Howard James agrees. "They (students) have gone out on their an theywould usually because of the high play of the unemploy- ment situation in the media," he says. Students in Seaforth usually find jobs at locsed farms much diffial cubulty. inessMr. s Jananes says.without Those with part-time jobs during the school year continue to work in the summer at the same job. MORE DIFFICULTY However, , a brief survey of Seaforth's traditional employers of summer students shows that students may have more difficulty than in other years. For eight job openings at the Seaforth and District Community Centre, recreation direc- tor Bryan Petef received approximately 36 applications. Some of these jobs at the Seaforth Lions Park and Pool required students with a bronze medallion in swimming and some experience was consid- ered a benefit. The Van Egmond House, which usually hires students to. do research'or work on the grounds, will not be hiring any this year because it has received a NEEDS grant which stipulates it only hire people whose employment benefits have fun odt, Lynda Please turn 10 page 1 Town police get safer holsters / A3 Brussels fire chief resigns /413 An Old West theme for Harmony Kings /A9 Bidding was liberal at Hensall's Centennial fund raising auction /M6, A17 Births /A6 Brussels news /Al2, 13 Classified /A18, 19, 20 Dublin news /A4, 5 Entertainment /A9 Family /A6, 7 Farm /A8 Hensel( news /A16 Kids /A15 Obituaries /A3 People /A9 Smiley /A2 Something to Say 1.42 Sports /A10, 11 Iola/inn Lnndashnrn /4111A