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The Citizen, 1996-04-17, Page 6Firewood Hard Maple or Ash SLABWOOD Limited Time Offer - Call now - $130./17 cu. yd. Truck Load Delivered within 20 miles Mileage charge Beyond That Large Quantity Discounts When You Haul!!! Craig Hardwoods Ltd. Auburn, Ont. 519-526-7220 "The board and taxpayer have been penalized for being frugal." "This is real," said Graham Russell, a teacher at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton. He Continued on page 8 e497-62 PUBLIC NOTICE CanacM Public Notice CRTC 1996-46. The CRTC hereby announces that it has received licence renewal applications for the following cable undertakings. These licences expire on 31 August 1996. 11. BLYTH, Ont. Application by WARD CABLE T.V. LTD. EXAMINATION OF APPLICATION: Municipal Office, Blyth, Ont. 15. BRUSSELS, WALTON AND BRODHAGEN, Ont. Application by WARD CABLE T.V. LTD. EXAMINATION OF APPLICATION: Municipal Office, Brussels, Ont. The complete text of this application is available through the Public Examination Room of the CRTC in Hull, (819) 997- 2429. Written interventions must be filed with the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ont. K1A ON2, with proof that a copy has been served on the applicant on or before 2 May 1996, For more information on the intervention process, you may call the CRTC Public Affairs in Hull at (819) 997-0313, Fax (819) 994- 0218, TDD (819) 994-0423. I Conseil de le radloditfusion et dee +I Ttnadl man Rmuando-icalZI:islon a Commission tilecommunlcations canediennes HEALTH ON THE HILL A Review of activities at SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL PRE-ADMIT OBSTETRICAL CLINIC for all expectant moms 34-38 wks. Thursday, APRIL 18, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. prior to the start of Seaforth Information Session. For further informa- tion and to register, contact the Nursing Office 527-1650 Ext. 219. SEAFORTH PERINATAL INFORMATION SESSION will he held' Thursday, APRIL 18, 1996 at 7:30 p.m. Conference Room 2 for all expectant parents. TOPIC: LEARN ABOUT MIDWIFERY & DOULA SERVICES. Presenters: Clara Vanderlaan, RN & Susan Wilts, Registered Midwife. DIABETIC _EDUCATION Nurse Educator, Dianne Wood, Reg.N. is now available for Diabetic Counselling of both In and Outpatients each Thursday 1-3 p.m. to discuss: "Insulin, Oral Agents; Monitoring Technique, Travel, Days of Illness„Self- Management to Prevent Complications." Appointments arranged by contacting Nursing Office Mon.-Fri. 8:30-4:30 p.m. ADULT HEALTH CLINICS (FOOTCARE) as of January 1996, the 1-luron County Health Unit is no longer sponsoring Footcare Clinics, however, the service will continue. For infor- mation and to arrange appointment, please contact Registered Practical Nurses, Carol Barry.527-0361 or Margaret Lee 527-1696. DIABETIC EDUCATION CLASSES with Lorraine Devereaux, Dietitian & Dianne Wood, Reg.N. will he offered at Seaforth Community hospital May 21 & 22nd from 8:00-3:00 p.m. in Conference Room 2. Topics include: Diet, Exeirise, Insulin, Oral Agents, Monitoring Technique, Travel, Days of Illness, Fool Care, Management. lb pre-register, call 527-1650 Ext. 262 by May 17th. Cost $20.00. ATTENTION FARMERS Spring is here! NOW IS THE TIME to get your electric motors, fans, pumps, etc. in smooth running condition Down time during seeding can be costly. DO IT NOW! - to prevent breakdown when you're busy. - Call Anytime - RIFIR4ION rtite4151 PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17,1996 Board of Ed. serves up share of shrinking pie By Amy Neilands The Huron County Board of Education presented its share of a "shrinking pie" and its effects on the board's 1996 budget to a large audience last Thursday. Over 200 concerned citizens and Huron County municipal council members packed the boardroom at the Education Centre in Clinton for this third annual meeting meant to give the public a better understanding of the way education is financed. Huron MPP Helen Johns was also invited to the meeting. "This is the third time we will try to build a better understanding of the education funding framework," said Director of Education Paul Carroll. Faced with provincial cuts and downloading, a 6.8 per cent property tax increase has been speculated by the board even after the board looks at cutting almost $4 million from its budget. A letter received by one trustee of the board was presented at the meeting. "A reduction in transfer payments is not an acceptable response" to increasing taxes, a portion of the letter stated. "But for some strange reason, our spending is decreasing and taxes are increasing," said Carroll, adding that this is what they would attempt to address at the meeting. "It's not a matter of simply payments." In the school board sector, the largest amount of the mill rate is determined by the Ontario government - not the local board. Ontario sets the minimum property tax level. The Ministry of Education and Training determines "recognized spending levels" and sets the minimum share of what the property taxpayer will pay. This is achieved through several annual changes to the grant system, it was reported. In the last 20 years, explained Carroll, Ontario paid the largest share of education. "Now, more than the reverse has happened." In 1995, the property tax share of education was.$8.6 billion; $5.9 billion of that determined by the province and $2.26 billion of that determined locally. The provincial share in 1995 totalled $5.6 billion, for a total funding of $13.77 billion for education. Carroll guessed that Letters Continued from page 4 ;.he Huron Public Education -iystem' is to look beyond their own school system. Be a friend not only of the Huron Public Education System, but of Huron County, of Ontario and of Canada. Please remember the importance of diversity, of healthy competition, of the message of Christianity for our youth and for our society. Please use Mr. Carroll's letter, send it to Helen Johns, but write NO! Feel free to cut out and send this letter as well. Clarence Bos. THE EDITOR, The Brussels Crusaders Hockey Club acknowledge their fans' support over the past season and playoffs. A fan appreciation night will be held at the Brussels Legion on Friday, April 26 at 9 p.m. The team hopes to see all the fans back when they return to the ice in October for the 96/97 season. Brussels Crusaders Hockey Club. for 1996, $5.2 billion would come from provincial sources and $6.3 billion from provincially determined property taxes and less than $2.26 billion determined locally. "Not every community gets the same funding, said Johns. "It depends on different areas and needs of those areas." She explained that Toronto and Ottawa do not receive support from the province. They have a high enough property tax base to support their education systems themselves. Toronto comes up with more than the $13.77 billion spent on education in the province. Presently, the Ministry of Education is asking the city to give money to the ministry to be doled out to other boards of education outside of Toronto. This issue is still being debated. The present funding system was set up in 1978, said Carroll. "It was a different kind of expanding economy when there were lots of dollars to spend on public services Funding must change says Carroll and tax services like public education. This is not the case anymore. There must be a dramatic change to the funding model. It doesn't work anymore." Other rural boards are in the same situation, he explained. "All are asking for a fairer share of the pie, recognizing that the amount of pie on the table is not as big as it used to be and it's getting smaller." "The largest amount of property tax is determined by the province, not the local board," Carroll stressed again. In Huron County, the provincial property tax requirement has increased by 34 per cent from1992 to 1996. In that same time period, the 1-1CBE has reduced their spending by about $5 million. "If this continues, the problem will continue," said Carroll. "It only makes sense to us that if spending is decreasing, then so should the tax level." If the board were to have a zero per cent increase, it would have to reduce spending by about 60 per cent. "We operate 30 schools today, we would only be able to operate 13-14 schools; we would have 70- 75 students in each class; we have 150 buses on the road, we would only have 75," he stated. "These are the kinds of reductions we would be looking at. This is not even reasonable to think about." Downloading on the Huron taxpayer for 1996 could result in an increase of over 11 per cent before board spending reductions. The province expects local property taxpayers to pick up a portion of the reductions to the per pupil ceiling amount which has been calculated to be 4.7 per cent. The basic change to the ministry- determined standard mill rate would raise the local property tax share of education revenues by another 4.5 per cent. An additional 2.2 per cent increase will come from the second year phase-in of adjusted Assessment Equalization Factors. A shift in commercial assessment to the Roman Catholic Board will have an impact of .2 per cent and interest charges, as the ministry "stretches its payables on capital projects", will have a one per cent impact. These equal a $3 million shift to the property tax bill. "This is a result of what the province has done, not the local trustees," said Superintendent of Business Janet Baird-Jackson. "The trustees have been handed a $3 million problem." The board will offset this mill rate impact through spending reductions for 1996 yet to be finalized. The board has presented a preliminary "shopping list" of about $2 million in spending reductions through a permanent savings of about $1.7 million in operating expenditures and through special reserves to offset retirement gratuities and certain school renovation costs. Over the past four year period, the board has reduced,_ expenditures by almost 10 per cent from a projected $66 million in 1993 to $60.3 million in 1996. Current efforts of constraint that the board is looking at include Idoking at ways they staff their schools, continuing to explore tri- board partnerships and looking at longer term financial planning. In the fall, the board looked "extensively" over their budget. "Every nickle was counted," said Carroll. They reduced programmed maintenance "substantially;', eliminated the purchase of buses, reduced capital equipment and reduced school, custodial and washroom supplies. "I don't believe we have a lot of room to manoeuvre," said Carroll.