The Citizen, 1991-04-10, Page 1Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave!, Ethel,
Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships.
VOL. 7 NO. 14 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1991.60 CENTS
Parents
assured kids
won't move
A delegation of about 15 Hullett
township parents attended the
April meeting of the Huron County
Board of Education (HCBE) to
express their concern over some of
the proposals listed by the board in
their recommendation to change
student transfer and transportation
policies. The initiative was brought
forward by the Management Com
mittee in the hopes of addressing
the problems of space shortage,
and bus routes.
The board is faced with extensive
cost increases to provide space in
some schools unless enrollment can
be reduced by relocation. Also,
changes in the provincial transpor
tation grant structure to create a
more-cost-efficient system suggest
that immediate changes must be
made in some Huron county routes.
The board noted it is illogical to
transport children past the front
door of one school to another school
that is operating at full capacity, or
to operate buses that are only
partially full. The possibility of
partnerships with the separate
school board have also been dis
cussed.
Bob Vodden, spokesperson for
the parents told the board the
parents felt they deserved more
input into this situation. “A change
or projected change of such magni
tude warranted notification by a
forma! notice,” he said. “A vague
statement sent home in a school
letter is not sufficient.”
Trustee John Jewitt supported
the delegation saying that he had
said from the start if there were
going to be changes of any kind the
people who would be affected must
have a say from the start.
Trustee Norm Pickell questioned
the policy change regarding boun
daries. “There are no boundary
changes specifically proposed,”
said Superintendent of Operations
Paul Carroll. He added that any
transfers would relate to out-of
area students and there would be
dialogue over the next year to
discover how these could be best
conducted. “I stress that any action
taken today does not include any
boundary change.”
HCBE Director of Education
Robert Allen said, “What we are
trying to clarify is that if you pass
this recommendation it doesn’t
affect boundaries. That is some
thing that would come before you
at a later date and not without
considerable opportunity for
dialogue.”
Regarding student transfers.
Mr. Carroll said there was no
Continued on page 19
Through the hoops
With the gymnasium full of science fair projects the Kindergarten class at Brussels Public School
took advantage of the season’s warming temperatures last Thursday to enjoy an outdoor physical
education class. Little Crystal McLellan shows teacher and classmates another way to use a
hula-hoop.
PC leader to speak in Blyth
Ontario's Progressive Conserva
tive leader Mike Harris is the guest
speaker at the party’s annual
dinner and meeting to be held at
the Blyth Community Centre on
April 10.
Though Mr. Harris campaigned
in the riding during the past
election this is the first time he will
be here on an extended non-elec-
tive visit, according to Steve Spar
ling, local PC party member. “This
is pretty significant and we are
looking forward a great deal to his
visit.” he said.
Mr. Harris will be addressing
those assembled following the 7
p.m. dinner.
Brussels
has deficit
for 1990
Brussels village auditor Nancy
McDonald Exel had good news and
bad news for village councillors
when she delivered the annual
financial statements for 1990 Mon
day night.
The good news was that the
village spent less than it budgeted
and took in more money than it
budgeted. The bad news was that
because of an error in setting last
year’s budget, the village still had
a deficit of $26,521.
She explained that in last year’s
budget a proposed bank loan to
help fund the industrial park and
Huronview street building projects
had been included as revenue when
it shouldn’t have been, except for
cash flow purposes. It meant that
council had budgeted $50,000 less
than it should have from taxes.
Council’s financial situation was
also hurt by lost sales of industrial
lots. Council had projected four lots
would be sold but only two deals
went through leaving an income of
$34,000 instead of the $68,000
planned.
In general, though, the village
was in sound financial shape, she
said, noting “you’re sitting with
good reserves”, (money set aside
for future capital needs or to run
the day to day operations of the
village and prevent it having to
borrow working capital). This, de
spite the deficit, would help the
village in setting its 1991 budget,
she said. “A lot of councils are
starting to dip into their reserves to
meet the goal of holding to a four or
five per cent mill rate increase,”
she said. Some councils haven’t
been able to do that because they
haven’t put enough money aside in
reserves, she said.
The reserves also help the village
take advantage of programs like
the Pride grants to make village
improvements. Such programs are
a good investment on behalf of
village taxpayers because they
allow work to be done with half the
cost being paid by the province.
With grants getting harder and
harder to get there may not be such
programs in 10 years and those
municipalities that can act now will
be way ahead, she said.
Due to unpredicted building
activity last year the village collect
ed $12,000 more than expected in
taxes. That and other small plea
sant surprises helped push revenue
to $15,000 more than had been
budgeted.
On the expense side, the village
spent $14,594 less than budgeted
in all operations. Because the
extension of Elizabeth St. to service
Huronview did not proceed last
year, the village also spent less
than planned on capital improve
ments.
One of the bright spots for the
year was the Brussels, Morris and
Grey Recreation Committee which
turned a $9,876 deficit from 1989
into a $8,023 surplus for 1990. Fees
and user charges for the arena ice
were up $22,901 over 1989 but
rentals of the auditorium were
down $2,400. The committee’s
revenues were $8,900 less than it
budgeted but it cut expenses by
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