The Citizen, 1993-12-15, Page 6Read it first in.
The C .
Lamb makes budget predictions
HCBE Supervisor of Financial Services, Glenn Lamb reported to the
board at the regular board meetingon Dec. 6, with predictions for the
1993 year end expenditures.
Mr. Lamb predicts the elementary school sector will have a variance
of $835,641, on the positive side.
Some of the gains were made in the area of teachers' salaries, with a
spending reduction estimated at 3.3 percent and teachers' assistants
and custodians reduced by 6.3 and 4.6 percent respectively.
School staff improvement plan costs are expected to drop by 32.3
percent; capital new replacements in the computer sector will be
reduced by 57 percent and approved capital project costs will be
decreased by 6.7 percent.
The areas of over expenditure will be in salaries to bus drivers,
three percent; emergency repairs to building and equipment, 65 per-
cent; utilities and heating, 3.4 percent; programmed maintenance, 46
percent and fleet operations, 11 percent.
The secondary school sector will have a positive variance from the
budget by $585,821.
The areas that will fall below the estimate are: teachers' salaries, 2.5
percent; adult education, eight percent; school staff improvement plan,
22.5 percent; computers, 39.8 percent; technical equipment renewal,
11 percent; grounds, 33 percent; utilities and heating, four percent;
service contracts, 61 percent and programmed maintenance, 38.9 per-
cent.
Over expenditures will be seen in: salaries of office secretaries,
teachers' assistants, summer school instructors and custodians at 2.2,
4.9, 58.9 and two percent respectively; day school equipment mainte-
nance, 60 percent; co-op education, 23 percent; approved capital pro-
jects, 15.5 percent and emergency repair to building or equipment,
98.7 percent.
The Administrative Centre is likely to have a minor positive vari-
ance of $143,196.
Student services costs will be down approximately 5.7 percent with
administrative supplies and special transportation up nine and 20.6
percent. Most other estimates are running very close to budget, at all
facilities.
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PALLIATIVE CARE
Wishes to thank all donors for their generosity
throughout 1993!
We're happy to have this opportunity to evress
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of you at this joyous time of the year.
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sponsoring this message.
Watch for information about St. Patrick's Day Luncheon
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Your Auto Insurance Changes on January 1, 1994
If you are injured in a car accident on or after January 1, 1994, you are
automatically entitled to new, enhanced accident benefits from your
insurance company.
• You are entitled to an income replacement of 90 per cent of
your net income, up to a maximum of $1,000 weekly, and up to
$1 million in necessary medical and rehabilitation benefits.
• If you are not working at the time of the accident, but suffer
injuries that prevent you from pursuing employment or affect
ability to lead a normal life, you are entitled to benefits.
If you are seriously injured and another driver is judged at fault, you can
sue for pain and suffering. A deductible of $10,000 will apply to any award
given as compensation.
Your insurance company will provide you with more
information on the new auto insurance system, either when
you renew your insurance or if you have to make a claim.
Ontario's road accident insurance
Ontario
Insurance
Commission
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1993.
Light at end of tunnel, Carroll tells trustees
Continued from page 1
Ms Baird-Jackson says if the
province kept the standard mill rate
at the 1993 level (which is not
likely) there would still be a 14.1
per cent increase in the ratepayers'
levy because of transfer payment
reductions and the change in full-
time student status.
It is more probable that the
standard mill rate would increase
by 5.7 per cent, thus pushing the
increase to the local taxpayer up
18.7 per cent, she says.
On a residential assessment of
$60,000, the taxes for 1994 would
be $651.90, Ms Baird-Jackson's
scenario shows.
Mr. Carroll told the board that to
reduce the mill rate increase by five
per cent, they would have to find a
way of cutting an additional
$1,000,000 from the budget. To try
and hold the increase to five per
cent would mean a cut of almost
$3,000,000 from a $65,000,000
budget. This is not as easy as it
may seem because 80 per cent of
that budget goes to salaries and
benefits which are protected by
collective agreements.
The 20 per cent which goes to
support costs cannot tolerate a cut
of two, three or four million, says
Goderich Trustee Norm Pickell.
"We just can't do it."
Mr. Carroll says, "The grant
system, which was developed at
least 20 years ago to allocate funds,
doesn't work anymore. It was
developed in a time when the
economy was good and the schools
were growing. The funding flow is
gone now."
"There is light at the end of the
tunnel though as there is legislation
on the provincial slate which would
begin the process of education
finance reform," he says. "There
must be a major change in the way
funding is acquired from the
property owner."
At present, in many areas, 55 per
cent of the tax money goes to
education, Mr. Carroll says.
Trustee of Jewitt, representing
Blyth and Hatrat says a 14.1 per
cent increase is just not acceptable
but asks where does the board go
from here.
Mr. Carroll says there is some
good news for the Huron County
taxpayers. The board does not have
a debt load and is not in the practise
of deficit financing. "We have an
annual income which exce-eds our
annual expenditures."
There are several issues the board
must deal with in an effort to
reduce costs. They are: determining
a minimum standard for repairs,
maintenance and capital
construction; reducing
transportation costs beyond the
great improvements in recent years
by the consolidation of routes with
other boards; determining the
benefit of continued technological
enhancement as compared to the
reduction in staff costs; looking at
the special education model and
look at a shift to a decentralized
method; studying the program
support staff where co-ordinators
are presently supplied through
special funding grants; finding the
minimum acceptable for school
supplies; looking at improved
health and safety programs and
determining if attrition will meet
;the staff reduction targets and if not
how to make other adjustments.
Mr. Carroll advised trustees that
they couldn't afford to relax over
the holidays. "We must do the
homework and be prepared to work
on the budget."
"Because of the reductions in
transfer payments, we must be
willing to look at radical solutions
because the board can't shut down
temporarily, close down or declare
bankruptcy like a business can. It
.was suggested to me by local
businesspeople that the board
should try looking at a school
system for 10,000 children which
operates on a $50,000,000 budget,"
he says.
It was suggested by Mr. Carroll
that all trustees should prepare a list
of the items they want to look at
and the changes that could be
made. "We recognize we can't
make miracles happen," he says.