The Times-Advocate, 2002-10-30, Page 1Wednesday, October 30, 2002 $1.00 (includes GST)Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Pumpkinfest
at Villa
PAGE 15
Panthers take
WOSSAA
PAGE 18
(519)235-1115
www.hurontractor.com
Exeter
EXETER JR.‘D’
HAWKS
vs MT.BRYDGES
FRI. NOV. 1 8:30 p.m.
South Huron Rec Centre
KAUSE FOR KIDS MOTORCYCLE PARADE, SUN. NOV. 3. SEE PAGE 13 FOR DETAILS
The Hensall Optimists organized a Halloween party at the Hensall Public School Oct.26. The Telletubby
is really Cloe McClinchey,2,and Batman is Kyle McClinchey,3. (Photos/Sandra Forster)
New Shoppers
proposed
SOUTH HURON — A
new Shoppers Drug Mart
is planned for Exeter.
South Huron council is
holding a public meeting
Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. to dis-
cuss an application to dis-
cuss a rezoning for prop-
erty owned by Pieter
Westerhout at the south-
east corner of Main Street
and Thames Road East.
The vacant property is
now zoned highway com-
mercial. The proposed
use is for a commercial
business including the
new Shoppers, a doctor’s
office and food store.
The proposed one-storey
brick building would have
110 parking spaces and a
total floor area of 1,533
sq. metres.
ABCA draft
budget sees
cost increase
By Scott Nixon
TIMES-ADVOCATE STAFF
SOUTH HURON — The Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority (ABCA) has proposed a seven
per cent increase in South Huron’s general levy for
2003.
Tom Prout and Gordon Strang of the ABCA
appeared at South Huron’s committee of the whole
meeting Monday night to discuss the authority’s draft
2003 budget. The ABCA board of directors will vote
on the draft Nov. 21.
As Strang told the committee of the whole, at just
over 21 per cent, South Huron still has the largest per
cent apportionment of the ABCA budget, just ahead of
the municipality of Bluewater. The 2003 proposed
levy for South Huron is $93,877, up from 2002’s
$88,449. The overall levy the ABCA collects from its
12 member municipalities has increased by $30,000
to $445,573.
Strang said there are five main reasons for the
increase:
• a $5,900 increase in the ABCA’s property taxes
for 2002 and 2003;
• an increase of $16,800 in the ABCA’s insurance
premiums for 2002 plus projected increases for 2003.
In 2002, the ABCA’s insurance went up 37 per cent,
with a projected 10 per cent increase in 2003;
• $6,000 for a health and safety committee;
• $7,300 for adjustments to the ABCA pay grid;
• and a $7,000 reduction the ABCA receives in
gas/oil revenues.
Some of the increased costs have been taken care of
through increased user fees as well as efficiencies and
reductions from the 2003 budget.
Answering a question from Coun. Joe Hogan, Prout
said the ABCA’s 2002 budget was balanced, but any
deficits are paid for out of the ABCA’s reserves.
Deputy Mayor Dave Urlin pointed out the proposed
7 per cent increase for South Huron’s levy comes
after two consecutive years of 10 per cent increases.
Prout said the ABCA wanted increases of just three to
four per cent for 2003, but cost increases “threw our
estimates out of whack.”
Prout pointed out while South Huron’s general levy
has increased each year since 2000 (from $76,576 to
$93,877), the cost per house in South Huron assessed
at $130,000 has dropped from $25.69 to $17.84. The
South Huron per centage of the total general levy has
See INCREASE page 2
No school closures this year
By Stew Slater
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES-ADVO-
CATE
SEAFORTH — Public
schools in Huron and
Perth counties are safe
from the threat of closure
for at least a year, and
quite likely as long as
three years, after a 7-2
vote from the Avon
Maitland District School
Board on Oct. 22.
The vote rejected rec-
ommendations, contained
in a report from board
staff, to move into the
next phase of the annual,
government-mandated
"student accommodation
review" process. Those
recommendations would
have seen five elementary
schools — two outside
Goderich, one outside
Wingham, one in Blyth
and one in Mitchell —
studied for possible clo-
sure.
The relocation of Grades
7 and 8 students into high
school settings in
Listowel, Mitchell and
Exeter would also have
been considered.
"The recommendations
will either improve pro-
gram opportunities for
students or assist the
board in addressing its
ongoing financial chal-
lenges," explained educa-
tion superintendent Bill
Gerth, as he presented the
report to trustees.
"Those things were fore-
most in our minds when
we considered what we
would bring before you
this evening."
Foremost in the minds
of several trustees, how-
ever, was a desire to
avoid a situation similar
to the last time the board
approved the closure of
schools. In the weeks,
days and hours before a
February 2002 vote to
close three schools, a
Thieves enter IGA through roof
EXETER – Huron OPP report $2,000
worth of damage was done to the roof
of Holtzmann’s IGA store when thieves
broke in overnight Oct. 26- 27.
Someone cut holes in the roof of the
Main St., Exeter business and stole
cash, coins and lottery tickets valued
at $9,500 from the office area.
Huron OPP is continuing their inves-
tigation and would appreciate any
help the public could provide in solv-
ing this crime.
Please call Huron OPP or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS).
See CLOSURES page 2