Ladysmith Chronicle, April 10, 2012

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Chemainus students go to China P. 5

Ladysmith’s Haleigh Lloyd breaks records P. 15

Council looks to keep tax increase to 5% Lindsay Chung THE CHRONICLE

LINDSAY CHUNG/CHRONICLE

Twenty-three-month-old Aylin Canning of Duncan didn’t wait to get home before she started sampling her chocolate eggs during the Easter Egg Hunt Sunday morning at Fuller Lake Park. The hunt was sponsored by North Cowichan Parks and Recreation and the Chemainus-Crofton #4400 Fraternal Order of Eagles. For more pictures from this hunt and the Lions’ Easter Egg Hunt in Ladysmith, please see page 11.

Ladysmith council will consider a revised version of the town’s proposed five-year financial plan during a special council meeting tonight (Tues., April 10) as it looks to keep the residential tax increase for 2012 at five per cent. Council will also be considering the applications by community groups for grants-in-aid during the meeting, which starts at 4 p.m. Tonight’s discussions come after councillors gave staff direction to work toward a five-per-cent increase in taxes for the residential class, a two-per-cent increase for the commercial class and no increase for the industrial class April 2. Staff originally came to council with a proposed budget that recommended a 5.39-per-cent increase in the tax rate for 2012. “We still need to hear from council as to what is an acceptable level for this year’s council,” said city manager Ruth Malli. “In addition, there were things that were added after the budget was circulated ... those things are not currently funded in the budget. If council wishes to have those items included in the budget, it would mean a tax increase of over 5.39 per cent.” New bigger-ticket items that were not included in the original proposed budget include an off-leash dog park

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at Transfer Beach, Gourlay Jane Park wall replacement, a fire truck replacement fund, and increases to the grants-in-aid requests for the coming year. Council has decided to defer spending money on the fire replacement vehicle plan until next year’s budget — when it also hopes to receive updated vehicle replacement plans for the town’s Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments. The cost of fencing the dog park west of Tristan De Koninck Drive at Transfer Beach has been reduced from $30,000 to $14,000, and council will ask dog owners to consider fundraising for further fencing. The majority of councillors were comfortable with a 2012 tax rate that has zero increase for industrial, a two-per-cent increase for commercial and a five-per-cent increase for residential. Mayor Rob Hutchins wanted to work toward a four-per-cent increase for residential, while Coun. Gord Horth wanted to see a two-per-cent increase to industrial taxes, no increase for commercial and fiveper-cent increase for residential. “I think we can pare down from 5.39, but I don’t see that we can go down an extra one per cent,” Coun. Jill Dashwood said as she spoke in favour of staying the course. The town’s general policy for the last 18 years has been to reduce its See Budget Page 4

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