Maple Ridge News, November 14, 2014

Page 1

ike tree down Community: Wind storm M knocks on house, family out of home. 8

Sports: Wrestler returns to MRSS. 44

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Now 53 with 30 or more students By Nei l Corbe tt ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com

The number of crowded high school classes in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district – those with 30 or more students – has more than tripled. In Wednesday’s last meeting before this Saturday’s school board election, trustees heard there were 16 such crowded classrooms in 2013-2014, and this year there are 53. Maple Ridge Teachers’ Association president George Serra said teachers are always concerned with high class sizes. “We can say all the cliches we want about how great we’re doing, but at the end of the day, if class sizes are that large, teachers can not meet the needs of every student.” See Classes, 5

Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS

In the spirit

A pipe band begins its procession during the Remembrance Day ceremony at Spirit Square in Pitt Meadows on Tuesday. See more images, 18.

Candidates about easing tax pain But ‘zero increase is not achievable’ By Phil M elnyc h u k pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com

Pitt Meadows mayoralty contender John Becker says he can create a zero-tax increase budget for residents, and do it without painful cuts that would peeve residents. A similar process in Maple Ridge, though, would be too painful, says the mayor, seeking a third term.

Zero-based budgets are not part of Ernie Daykin’s plan, if re-elected. “If we do a zero-based budget, or a reduction, then we have to have those real hard discussions – what are we going to cut? What are we not going to deliver? What are we not going to build?” Passing a budget without a property tax increase next year would be just passing costs down to residents in future years. The city has a responsibility to manage its finances without burdening future generations, he added.

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However, another candidate for mayor, Graham Mowatt, says it would be worthwhile to present a zero-based budget. “There are lot of inefficiencies that we could find in city hall in order to get to a zero-per-cent increase.” He’d like to staff to do zero-based budgeting exercise and wants more public input into the process. “It may turn out we can’t do it, but that’s my goal. We should at least take a look at it.” Mowatt says trimming spending

by between $2 million and $3 million would be enough to create no tax increase. A three-per-cent increase in property taxes works out to about $1.8 million in revenue. If elected, Mowatt would also put a wage freeze on the non-union management staff within city hall that he says get annual two-per-cent raises. Staff increases, though, are pegged to those that Canadian Union of Public Employees get, Daykin added.

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Nov. 15

See Taxes, 16

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Mowatt also opposes widening the Haney Bypass, as a further cost saver, and is also against building Fire Hall No. 4 on 112th Avenue at 240th Street. “I’m against opening No. 4 fire hall. It’s just too much money. We just can’t afford the taxation for that at this time.” Council, this year, re-authorized borrowing $7.4-million for that project, including equipment needed for a new fire hall.

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