Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-14, Page 22PAGE6A—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 1977 Councii reminds board education budget controls otherspending BY SHIRLE'Y KELLER Hill stated.:And were trying During last Wednesday's special budget meeting, members of Goderich Town Council took timtwout in the afternoon to make a trip to the Clinton office of the Huron County Board of Education. The purpose of the visit was to obtain some sort of an explanation for this year's education levy which is up about 24 per cent of last year's figure. While no new answers were given for the Financial pressure felt by Goderich citizens, it was generally agreed the meeting was useful and productive. All members of town council attended the session in Clinton except Councillor Stan Profit who termed the meeting "a eomplete waste of time" and opted to stay at home. Council members were greeted •by Herb Turkheim, chairman of the board, who said in a prepared statement that the board had come under some criticism because its taxes were collected through . the local municipalities. Turkheim explained that when county boards came into existence in 1969, some consideration was given at that time by provincial legislators ,to have educators collect their own tax dollars. But, said Turkheim, this was determined to be a duplicate" tax, collection system and an "unnecessary expelmse". He said a decision was reached at the beginning to have the•school boards collect their taxes via the municipal tax bill "just as the county council does". The chairman further reminded council the board has the approval of provincial government to request four instalments per annum from the municipalities, but that the 'Huron board co-operates ,with the 26 municipalities in the county who have requested that requisitions be paid only twice annually. In effect, Turkheim pointed out. municipal councils are using school board funds "interest free'' for at least a portion of every year, Summing up, the board chairman advised town council that he and other members of the board would not attempt to "justify" the Huron Board of Education budget to Goderich Town Council. He said the board was not required to do it any more than the municipality is obliged to "justify" its budget to the board, - SOME EXPLANATION OFFERED Roy Dunlop. superin- tendent of business for the board, claimed the board had "under requisitioned in 1976" .resulting in a deficit budget situation. As well. the base upon which the board is working in 1977 is about $300,000 lower than in 1976, Grant rates are slightly reduced in 1977. too, a problem which is province. wide. Enrolment is dropping. a major factor in a system' which uses the total equalized assessment in the county as it relates to the total student population to arrive at education costs. Dunlop said the hoard uses the exact same equalization factor used by the county to determine its requisitions. from assessment figures supplied by the regional assessment •.office in Goderich. Reeve Bill Clifford asked if Goderich's requisition was figured in relation to the number of students coming into the town from outside the municipality. He was told this .was not the case. "Education levies 'are based on county needs, not the needs of an individual municipality," Director of Education John Cochrane told him. Dunlop questioned the Goderich delegation's estimate that the education levy in the town was up 24 per cent over 1976. The superintendent of business said his calculations had shown the increase to be something like 20 per cent, or about 17 mills. "You must be basing it on last year's assessment and not the new assessment figures," reasoned Dunlop,, who suggested Goderich's assessment was increased by about $1,000,000 over last year. About 90 per cent of the board's budget is "fixed" costs, Dunlop said, Salaries account for 74.2 per cent of the total budget and tran- sportation accounts for seven per cont. Capital ex- penditures last year,' • amounted to $18,745 and this year, with the renovations at Exeter Public School and opening a new school in Vanastra, the estimate, for capital expenditures .• is $300,000. ar. In addition, $100,000 has been approved for new school buses. "But we still don't have Ministry approval for. them and if we don't get it, we won't be buying the buses," Dunlop said.' He claimed that those "fried" expenditures, however, were "very, very close" to the same budget percentages as last year. • "Only about five to 10 per cent of our budget is negotiable,"'said Cochrane. MUNICIPALITIES NOT CALLED IN Chairman Herb Turkheim said the board would not release copies of its budget to the Goderich delegation. "The budget meeting was open to the public," Turkheim, told council members. "Once the budget has been struck, the budget remains within the board." Turkheim further said the board had decided this year nal to call in the municipalities for a budget explanation prior to issuing the requisitions. He pointed out that it wasn't- necessary for the board to do this. "I realize you don't have to," said Councillor Dave Gower, "but perhaps it would have helped," The director explained there- was a • "time con- straint" this year with which the board had to deal. He said, it was a new board hampered by some' -cancelled meetings due to bad weather, as well as the fact that the Ministry had advised the budget had to be struck by March 15 or the board would be hit with a "financial penalty". The chairman •argued the county council never has public sessions to "justify" its hudget to the municipalities. He was reminded, however, that each council has representatives on county council,, which makes communications much better. Goderich's trustee Cayley Hill said he disagreed with the hoard chairman to some extent. Hill said it was a "good idea" to call the municipalities in to "talk about the hudget" "Communication is always good," said Hill. "There's no question. Education is ex- pensive. This year, this board was greatly hampered by weather. We couldn't for- mulate our committees early. The Ministry threw us a curve, We had an' under levy [IM.A) FI1A4( IAI (0•PoRATioN MORTGAGES arranged, bought and sold. • Consolidate loans • Lower monthly payments • • Home improvements • Any worthwhile purpose • s Prime Rates Arrangements can be made in the privacy Of your home BOB .FURTNEY 273.3722 or 745-8418 last year and nu surplus. It is really the fault of no one. "But we shouldn't be on two sides of the fence."' stated Hill. "We're all in this together." "We're just as concerned about taxation and the rising costs as you are," Hill told the Goderich group. "This board is much more concerned about costs than a lot of people think it is. That's why we've undertaken some long range planning. Maybe we can save some money.` Hill admitted there were ways in which the hoard could 'save money right away. but et - he called these "politically unacceptable" methods, "I'm sure you could save a lot of money for the taxpayers in Goderich, but I'm not sure the people would' stand for it," Hill told council. He claimed that from an administrative sense, the Huron board operates at the lowest cost of anywhere in the province. He said Huron's small population" without much industrial taxation made it difficult to keep education requisitions down, however, "We're trying to spend the taxpayer's money wisely," to maintain a ..quality of education which is com• parable at least to the averae in Ontario. But we don't have a great deal of flexibility." NOT HAPPY WITH SYSTEM Councillor Elsa Haycfon told the hoard members at the meeting she was "not happy with the system". She said she also felt the board as a whole was not as "responsive" as she would like to see it, and asked Goderich's two represen- tatives in particular. to state their views on Goderich's requi"sitiun. "1'm not happy about it," admitted Hill• who also said he was out of the country when the budget was struck. " I don't like to see an in. (Tease any more than you do-. I'm concerned for the tax- payer. 1 really am, I think taxpayers can only„ take so much. 1 really do.- Airs, Dorothy Wallace, the other Goderich trustee, said the hudget committee- of the hoard "spends hours with Mr. Dunlop' ,going over the ued 7A) (con tin on page FOR YOUR PR6PERTY INSURA c SEE �`�' MALCOLM MOTHERS General Insurance Agent NOTE ADDRESS AND NEW PHONE NUMBEI 46 WEST ST. GODERICH S24=1818 Anstett Jewellers -` LIMITED 11 ALBERT ST., CLINTON OPEN WEDNE SQA For Your Convenience, HOURS: Monday through Saturday, a,m. - 4 p.m.; Friday nights 'NI 9 p,m, A&P Suncoast Mall BAYFIELD RD. GODERICH OPEN MON. — SAT. 9 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. MANNINGS ASST, COOKIES ALL PRICES SHOWN IN THIS AD GUARANTEED EFFECTIVE THROUGH SATURDAY, APRIL 16th, 1977. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES TO NORMAL FAMILY REQUIREMENTS! 21/2 LB. BAG 1.54 Big Red Team .values like these. . , can savings for you! BATHROOM TISSUE WHITE, GREEN;.' YELLOW, PINK WHITE SWAN £&-394 Action Priced CHOCOLATE CHIP, CHOCOLATE FUDGE, FRENCH CREME, CINNAMON a` -DANISH, COCONUT CREME (14,5•OZ) • OPANGE•OPINN HOME JUICE 64 -FL -OZ BTL (PREPRICED) Action Priced BOUT 14U KLEENEX TOWELS P S•LB BAG PKG OF 2 ROLLS Action Priced REGULAR OR WINTERFRESH COLGATE Dental Creme BONUS PACK 150 ml TUBE 19 MIX 'N MATCH FANCY CREAM STYLE CORN, SWEET SUMMER PEAS, GIANT SIZE PEAS,: KITCHEN SLICED GREENS BEANS, INIBLETS CORN 7.FL.OZ) GREEN GIANT' VEGETABLES 3for89 10-FL-OZ TIN SAVE 1241 16-0Z PKG CLOVER LEAF TUNA FLAKES GARBAGE BAGS PKG. OF 20 Trim the Cost of Good Eating with A&P Quality Products r Partly Skimmed 2% MILK 3 Qt. Bag 1 12 • 1 r Poland° Crushed, Tidbits or SLICED PINEAPPLE 19 -FL -O c ,, TIN FOR 9 Ready Cut Macaroni or LONG SPAGHETTI CREAMETTES PKG FOR o0 14 -OZ I 1 •