The Citizen, 2000-04-05, Page 1Sports |__________News__________I______Entertainment
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Brussels Minor
Hockey players
get awards
See page 9
Study reveals
county’s strengths
and weaknesses
See page 11
Students’ play
in Wingham,
Friday
See page 23
New municipalities
get province’s okay
The real work can now proceed as
two more municipal restructuring
plans were approved by the province
late last week.
The Municipality of Huron East,
consisting of Seaforth and Brussels
and the Twps. of Grey,'McKillop
and Tuckersmith, with the status of a
town and the Twp. of North Huron,
made up of Wingham, Blyth and
East Wawanosh Twp., were both
given the green light.
Huron East will have a council of
12 members following the
November elections. There will be a
mayor and deputy-mayor along with
two councillors from each of the five
wards.
The process towards amalgama
tion in 2001 will be facilitated by a
10-member transition team with two
representatives from each of the cur
rent municipalities. Brussels mem
bers will be Councillor Mary
Stretton and Reeve Ralph Watson;
from Grey Twp., Reeve Robin
Dunbar and Deputy-Reeve Alvin
Brussels budget
increases by 3%
Brussels council approved its
budget for 2000 with a three per cent
increase in the municipal mill rate.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna White
noted that the increase only adds
$6,601.44 which is included in the
budget. Also included were the
Community Re-investment Fund in
the amount of $104,000 and the
Special Circumstances Grant in the
amount of $18,698.45, though nei
ther figure has been confirmed.
There were several transfers from
reserves included m the budget.
These were: $28,522 which was
transferred from the tractor reserve,
$1,000 for Main Street Ontario;
$24,678 transferred from reserves
for tennis courts and $5,158 is trans
ferred from reserves for fire.
On the expenditures side, a trans
fer to reserves in the amount of
$16,000was included to meet the
three per cent commitment for amal
gamation. The garbage collection
charge in the amount of $69 has been
left the same as last year since suit
able arrangements for waste disposal
have not been made.
An estimate was received in the
Blyth ends year with surplus
A well-disguised Nicholas Park obviously enjoyed his look that he got while visiting the
Brussels Public School spring craft show on Saturday. The event featured a variety of specialty
items from candles and woodworking to baking and handcrafts. Students tended the Cafe 5/6
food booth and there were draw prizes made at regular intervals. Proceeds are going to the
Grade 5/6 classes year-end trip and if there is any left to classroom resource. The students
are making their wish lists and decisions will be made “diplomatically”, according to a school
spokesperson. (Vicky Bremner photo)
With several thousands of dollars
placed in reserves for future road
work and a balancing of police costs,
Blyth council realized a small sur
plus in 1999.
Village auditor Paul Seebach
spoke with councillors at the Apnl 3
meeting about the various village
and committee accounts, detailing
revenues and expenses.
The village will carry forward just
$6,568 in surplus funds, but Seebach
noted $51,000 was placed in a
reserve for policing costs as well as
money set aside for road reconstruc
McLellan; McKillop Twp., Deputy-
Reeve Bill Siemon and Councillor
Jim Ryan; Tuckersmith Twp., Reeve
Bob Broadfoot and Councillor
Paul Spittai; and Seaforth, Mayor
Dave Scott and Deputy-Reeve Bill
Teal).
North Huron will have seven
councillors including a reeve elected
at-large and two representatives
from each ward. A deputy-reeve will
be appointed by council.
The transition team consists of
Wingham councillors Archie
McGowan and Ron Beecroft, East
Wawanosh councillors Judith Gaunt
and Murray Scott and Blyth council
lors Jeff Howson and Murray
Nesbitt.
Provincial reports state that
restructuring completed as of
January, 2000, reduced the number
of municipalities in the province by
244 and councillors by 1,129.
Amalgamations to take effect in
2001 will eliminate 100 more
municipalities and 520 councillors.
amount of $34,335.IL from Lavis
Contracting and added to the budget.
The offsetting revenue from the ten
nis court reserve fund in the amount
of $24,678 was included which
leaves a net impact on the budget of
$9,657.11.
Councillors agreed this work
should be left in the budget and will
tender for it later in the year.
The big purchase this year is a
tractor at a cost of $52,725. This
included the trade-in allowance, less
the transfer from the tractor reserve
leaving a cost of $24,203.09. The
transition board of Huron East
approved the purchase at its March
14 meeting. Council was informed at
its Monday night meeting that the
waterworks department had agreed
to a $10,000 contribution to the trac
tor.
The fire expenditure increased by
$6,750.This is due to additional
training requirements and updates at
the Seaforth dispatch, hose and eight
air cylinders. There is a fire reserve
of $5,158.
Election expenses were included
in the amount of $2,000.
tion.
Seebach said the various boards
had done fairly well with many
attaining surpluses. The arena board
was able to pay back a $23,000 loan
to the village and still earn about
$10,500 in surplus funds.
While the water rates have been
set at a level to allow $10,000 to
$15,000 in capital costs each year,
Seebach said the board has had to
use reserves for watermain work,
thereby reducing reserves.
The cemetery board and hydro
commission also saw surpluses.