The Citizen, 1986-12-10, Page 5Letters to the Editor
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986. PAGE 5.
Library board disbanding diminishes democratic process
THE EDITOR:
Earlier this year the Huron
County Council made an applica
tion to join the Ontario Legislative
Assembly to dissolve its Library
Board on January 1,1987 and to
deem the Council as the County
Library Board. The application in
the form of a Private Member’s Bill
was put forward on behalf of Huron
County by Mr. D. R. Reycraft,
Liberal MLA representing Middle
sex.
The bill known as the County of
Huron Act Pr 7 has had first
reading in the Legislature and two
hearings (Oct. 22 & 29, 1986)
before the Standing Committee on
Regulations and Private Bills. By a
narrow margin of 5 to 4, with the
Chairman casting the deciding
vote, the Standing Committee
voted for the passage of the bill
which is now awaiting second
reading.
Huron County Council’s reasons
for requesting the dissolution of its
Library Board are to give Council
greater direct control over library
affairs and to reduce the number of
special purpose bodies like library
and health boards. Furthermore, it
is Council’s perception that the
Library Board has not been
financially accountable.
For the past five year I have
served as a citizen appointee on the
Huron County Library Board and
as Huron’s representative on the
Saugeen Regional Library Board.
Consequently, I feel that I have a
modest understanding of the
School Fair hands out
$1600 in prizes
Once again Blyth Public School
students had the top score for
school results at the Belgrave,
Blyth and Brussels School Fair
with East Wawanosh students
having the highest overall score.
Kelly Cook of Blyth had the top
score for the girls in school work
while David Hessels of Blyth had
the top marks for the boys.
Lana Thompson of East Wawa
nosh had the top marks overall for
the girls while Tim Coultes of East
Wawanosh had the most points
overall for the boys.
The boys school work Blyth
swept the top prizes with Craig
Bauman and Brian Machan plac
ing second and third. Sheila
system and of this issue.
The Library Board has been
functioning as a semi autonomous
body in the county for the past two
years. Prior to this time it worked
as a committee of County Council
with recommendations going for
ward to the Council for ratification.
The Council’s view that it lacks
meaningful input into the decision
making on the Library Board is not
entirely correct. The legislation
(Public Libraries Act 1984) which
put so called autonomous library
boards in place provided for careful
checks and balances. The structure
of the board is such that four
members of Council are placed on
the Board as well as three citizen
Thanks
to The Citizen
THE EDITOR,
As a helper on the pie making for
the “BackThe Biter Fund” I would
like to express thanks to The
Citizen for its coverage on the pie
making day. The response has
been overwhelming. The dona
tions of money, 300 pies, and the
help have been more than we had
ever dreamed of. This has helped
make the lunch booth a success and
all pies were sold. Thanks again to
allandespeciallyTheCitizen. Your
paper has helped make the Big Day
a success.
Burns & Londesboro
United Church Women.
Helen Lee.
Schwartzentruber of East Wawa
nosh was second in girls school
work.
All the top over-all winners were
from East Wawanosh public
school. Runner up for the girls was
Lindsay Michie and runners up for
the boys were Steven Michie and
Mark Robinson.
Lana Thompson and Tim Coul
tes won the awards for the most
points in events other than school
work.
A total of $1,612.95 in prize
money was given out: $1,019.15 to
East Wawanosh; $581.40 to Blyth
and $12.40 to Brussels.
There was a total of 1,550 school
work entries and 1,685 entries in
other classes.
appointees, these appointments
being made annually. Clearly it is
the County Council which has the
power to assess and to put in place
the kind of people they deem
suitable for the board.
A precedent was set early that
the chairman of this body be a
councillor; since inception the two
chairmen have been former ward
ens. It is apparent that the voting
structure precludes the passing of
library policy which is alien to the
interests of County Council. More
over, the Board is financially
accountable in that it is Council
which approves the Library
Board’s yearly budgets on a
line-to-line basis. These limita
tions notwithstanding, I believe
that there has been a good working
relationship between council
placements and citizen appoin
tees; the Board appears to be more
homogeneous than it was under
the former committee structure.
The County Council, however, is
now seeking legislation to dissolve
this board structure. Mr. D. J.
Murphy, solicitor for the County at
the hearings conducted by the
Standing Committee stated that
the passage of the bill would result
in only “cosmetic changes”. He
added “I would say in conclusion
that the overwhelming majority of
the people in Huron County who
are represented by the people on
county council wish that the library
board become a committee of
county council, and that is why we
are here.” Hopefully this percep
tion is wrong.
The people of Huron County will
not be well served by the dissolu
tion of the board and the return to
the former committee structure.
Serious issues such as freedom of
access to information and censor
ship are best dealt with at arms
length from the County political
process. The potential for produc
tive change in the library system
can best be realized through the
retention and refinement of the
existing board structure.
On Dec. 17,1986, Huron County
Act Pr7 is being returned to the
Standing Committee for further
Woiider/id Gifts
They’ll Treasure Forever!
input and study, an action which
the clerk of the assembly termed
unprecedented. This action pre
sents the last opportunity for the
concerned citizens of Huron Coun
ty register their objections. Objec
tions should be directed in writing
to the Clerk, Standing Committee
on Regulations & Private Bills,
Queens Park, Toronto, M7A 1A2.
Objections in writing or by tele
I
i g
| Viathe pages of The Citizen.
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them happiness and prosper
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Lisa or Bev
at
887-9114 or 523-4792
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19
phone should also be directed to
the mayors, reeves and to The
Honourable Jack Riddell.
The passage of bill Pr7, which
will significantly diminish a demo
cratic process, is regressive, out of
step with the times and unworthy
of a Government which prides
itself in being forward looking.
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