Huron Expositor, 2004-03-24, Page 3News
•
Mitchell hears pleas for provincial
support at recent town hall meeting
By Cheryl Heath
Clinton News -Record Editor
They came. They saw. They
asked for more cash.
Approximately two dozen
Huron County residents,
including delegations
representing TV Ontario,
municipalities and Homes for
the Aged, gathered at the
Holmesville hall Monday night
to plead for more provincial
government support at town
hall meeting hosted by Huron -
Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell.
Mitchell, who opened the
meeting by noting the province
faces some tough decisions in
light of the $5.6 -billion deficit
inherited from the. former
Progressive Conservative
government, said an open
dialogue is the key to finding
the necessary compromises for
the coming year.
"We face very tough
decisions," said Mitchell. "It is
going to come down to choice
and a discussion of the
choices."
She said the Liberal -led
government has already heard
11,000 ideas put forth by the
public service sector after six
weeks of consultation. Mitchell
said the government's goal is to
learn what municipal level
stakeholders want to see in the
coming budget.
One message was loud and
clear: area senior citizens do
not want the province to cut or
abolish the Ontario Drug
Benefit Plan.
Keith Tindall, representing the
Londesboro Happy Gang
Seniors, said it is unfair for the
government to consider
eliminating the program
because senior citizens do not
have the benefit of flexible
incomes.
"Please remember that we are
the largest low-income group in
Ontario," said Tindall.
Ha added increasing drug costs
would force senior citizens to
choose between food and
drugs.
Tom Knight, of the Huron -
Perth Children's Aid Society,
said societies, provincewide,
are facing mounting deficit
situations while seeing more
children in care.
Knight, who cited statistics
revealing 18,275 children are
currently in care in the
province, said the government
must allocate funds to help
Children's Aid societies
introduce prevention and
treatment programs. He noted
the current funding formula for
the societies is flawed and rates
for children in care have not
been adjusted since 1997.
He said providing funding for
prevention is critical. He also
suggested the province allocate
multi-year funding so that
officials can create long-term
plans.
Alison Lobb, chair of the
Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority, said environmental
issues do not receive the
attention they deserve because
responsibility for
environmental issues is
Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell
fragmented across the three
levels of government. She
noted it is unfortunate the
Managing the Environment
report, completed in 2001, has
been ignored by government.
Lobb said one step in the right
direction is to change the way
the government delivers its
services and to form boundaries
according to a place -based
approach. She also suggested
contracting the delivery of
environmental services.
Lobb said conservation
authorities have been woefully
underfunded in past years. She
said the time has come for the
province to renew its
commitment to the authorities.
which it created.
She added that the best way to
encourage conservation is to
introduce programs that help
farmers and property owners
upgrade and improve their land.
She cited the Healthy Futures
program as an example of a
successful venture.
Mark Becker, chairman of the
Huron County Clerks and
Treasurers Association, said the
province must eliminate the so-
called 10-5-5 Capping for
commercial, industrial and
multi -residential properties.
"This program does not appear
to be working and causes no
end of additional work at all
levels of government," he said,
noting Huron County had to
hire a consulting firm to review
and confirm thc capping
adjustments for 2003. The tab
was $60,000.
"The public does not
understand the adjustments.
and the process is very
complicated and very difficult
to explain," he said, noting thc
capping legislation is distorting
the fairness of assessment for
the affected classes of
properties.
Becker also asked the
province to allocate either a
reduction or 100 per cent rebate
on the Provincial Sales Tax rate
for municipalities.
Becker said'the Community
Reinvestment Fund, which is in
place to help offset Ontario
Provincial Police (OPP) costs
of $90 per household, has not
been adjusted. He noted
municipalities do not learn of
OPP costs until late April,
making it difficult to pass
budgets in a timely manner.
The association's concerns
also include water regulations,
which he said will be
unsustainable for small
systems. Becker added more
provincial funding is needed to
repair and replace bridges and
culverts in Huron County, some
of which are more than 40
years of age.
Jack Hopkins, of the Ontario
Public Service Employees'
Union, said the government
should he looking at ways to
raise revenue rather than cut
programs and services.
"We honestly believe our
public service is in a crisis
state," he said. "Every sacred
cow that could be slaughtered
is already hanging upside down
from a hook," he said.
Hopkins said the province
should instead eliminate its use
of consultants, noting that $662
million was spent in one year,
and instead hire more tax
auditors to ensure companies
and corporations are paying
their fair share of the tax pie.
Hopkins said a tax hike is not
out of thc question. He added a
two per cent tax hike is not out
of the question.
Larry Adams, Chief
Administrative Officer for
Huron County, also asked for
thc elimination of 10-5-5
capping.
He said provincial
downloading has come at a
huge cost for Ontario's
municipalities and that the
funding formula needs to be
reviewed.
McKillop man, 19, charged
with drinking and driving
A 19 -year-old found to have
alcohol on his
breath. He was
given an alcotest
80 mgs of alcohol in his blood after he was that he failed and was taken for breath tests
stopped in Seaforth on March 20 at 4:45 a.m. in Exeter.
A red 1996 Chevrolet Berretta was stopped He is scheduled to attend court in
on East William Street and the driver was Goderich on May 3.
McKillop man was
charged with
driving with over
Huron OPP
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Adams noted funding levels
for Homes for the Aged are
particularly low given the high
costs associated with
maintaining the facilities as
well as the fact that Huron
County is home to an aging
population.
He added the downloading of
fine collection has hurt the
county more than helped it
because the revenue is not
flowing in, but judicial costs
and supplying equipment for
justices of the peace are on the
rise.
Adams also asked for a
renewed commitment to the
Community Reinvestment
Fund and notes the Municipal
Property assessment
Corporation (MPAC) is causing
a number of headaches for the
county, including the $900,000
annual fee Huron County must
pay for the service.
Holmesville resident Ed
Cornish said it seems the
province must reduce spending
in each of its ministries or
increase taxes. He noted senior
citizens cannot afford to pay
any more taxes.
Neil Vincent, of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture, said
the province must take another
look at the white paper on
source water protection.
He asked the government for
more time to implement the
measures. He also suggested
that the province inform
stakeholders about money
available to deal with the new
regulations and mandatory
programs.
"Agriculture is under siege
right now," he said. "That is old
news to pretty much everybody
in this room."
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1'IJBLII; NO'i'ICE
Re: BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH RULES OF ORDER,
REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE
COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES OF THE
CORPORATION OF THE COUNTY OF HURON
This notice is given under the provisions of the
Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended,
Section 238(2) - Every Municipality and local board
shall pass a procedure by-law for governing the
calling, place and proceedings of meetings.
Section 238(4) - Before passing a by-law under
subsection (2), a Municipality and local board shall
give notice of its intention to pass the by-law.
The Draft Procedural By-law will be presented for
deliberation and consideration at the County Council
Session at 9:00 a.m. on April 1, 2004 in the Council
Chambers, Court House, Goderich, Ontario.
Barbara A. Leamen
County Clerk
The Corporation of the County of Huron
1 Court House Square
Goderich, Ontario N7A 1M2
(519) 524-8394
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