The Citizen, 2015-02-26, Page 25THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015. PAGE 25.
Members of Huron East Council
are chomping at the bit to dig into
this year’s budget, but it’s not quite
ready for them yet.
Councillor Ray Chartrand raised
the subject at council’s Feb. 17
meeting, saying that he hopes to go
through the budget line-by-line in
the coming weeks ahead of council
passing the budget this spring.
Chief Administrative Officer Brad
Knight, however, informed
Chartrand that due to a lengthy
personal absence by Treasurer Paula
Michiels, the entire process is just a
bit behind its normal schedule.
Under normal circumstances,
Michiels said at the meeting, she
would have already received 2015
budgets from the municipality’s
various departments. But with
Michiels being absent for most of
January, many of those budgets
have yet to be submitted, which
has then slowed down her role
in the budget process.
Knight told councillors that
Michiels isn’t even yet in a position
where she can present a draft budget
to councillors.
Conversation quickly turned once
again to community centres, which
have been scrutinized by council of
late as the budget process is set to
begin.
Councillor David Blaney said that
council has to face facts that the
centres simply aren’t being used as
much as they were formerly and
costs to run them are going to
continue to increase year over year.
“They’re expensive facilities,”
Blaney said. “They’re always going
to be expensive facilities.”
Mayor Bernie MacLellan
harkened back to a decision that was
made over 10 years ago when the
council of the day decided to
proceed without a recreation
director. When that decision was
made, he said, keeping up with the
centres and promoting their
activities was left in the hands of the
managers of each centre. Council is
the only body that oversees the
actions of the community centres
now, he said, and often the only time
budgets are reviewed is once a year
around budget deliberations.
Blaney said that one way to boost
revenue at the centres is to find a
way to increase usage during the
summer months, rather than
constantly focusing on the winter
months and decreasing enrolment in
local hockey associations.
Deputy-Mayor Joe Steffler
assured councillors that no
recreation department in the country
turns a profit. The departments
aren’t designed to make money, he
said.
Councillor Brenda Dalton agreed,
but said that there must be a way to
limit losses and increase revenue.
Dalton said that she and Steffler
had served on recreation boards
together in the past and she said that
rising costs can always be attributed
to staff, so that’s what the focus
should be going forward.
Council’s budget deliberations are
scheduled to continue next month.
Budget process slowed, councillors anxious
WILLIAM RUSSEL NETHERY
Mr. Bill Nethery of RR 1,
Belgrave passed away at his
residence on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015.
He was 85.
Bill was the beloved husband of
the late Dina (Jouwsma) Nethery,
who predeceased him in 2011. He
was the dear father of Dianne and
Ken Siertsema, Blyth and Andy
Nethery and partner Nellie,
Dashwood. He was the dear
grandfather of Jessica Nethery and
friend Trevor Somerville, Kasey and
Amber Siertsema, and Karyssa,
Tyson, Emma and A.J. Nethery and
the brother-in-law of Janny Fear
(Jim Gunton), Blyth; Anne Saj,
Amsterdam, N.Y. and Rina (Allan)
Waddell, Staffa. Bill is also survived
by several nieces and nephews. He
was predeceased by his parents
William and Margaret (McCallum)
Nethery, one brother, two sisters and
his grandson Duane Nethery (1997).
Graveside memorial services will
be held at Brandon Cemetery,
Belgrave in the spring. Memorial
donations to Blyth Legion Building
Fund would be appreciated as
expressions of sympathy.
Online condolences may be left at
www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com
Obituaries
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