SPORTS: 29th JUNIOR NATIVE TOURNEY /PAGE 17
AN IN-DEPTH REPORT ON COST OVERRUNS/PAGE 2
Nicola Valley’s News Voice Since 1905
merrittherald.com
bcclassified.com
MERRITT HERALD FREE
THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
FEDERAL BUDGET
CITY BEAT
$2.9 BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT
Council gets 25% raise
“
Michael Potestio THE MERRITT HERALD
If we hearken back to the previous election, that’s about how much they said they would do over a period of three years, and that they would return to balance. There’s no timeline for a return to balance.
”
David Dyck THE MERRITT HERALD
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has handed down his first budget with a massive deficit of $29.4 billion — three times what had been promised during the election campaign — as the new Liberal government embarks on a stimulus program. The budget forecasts more than $100 billion in deficits for the next five years, contrary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's election promise to balance the budget in four years. Morneau billed the budget as a plan to “revitalize the Canadian economy” and deliver a tax break to nine million taxpayers, and a more generous, tax-free child benefit. Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said the finance ministry reported on budget day that the Liberal inherited a $4 billion surplus. “There was still a surplus in January, and they've blown through that in the first 100
days,” Ambrose said. “What we're seeing now is reckless spending without a job creation plan, and no actual plan in the budget to return to a balance.” NDP leader Thomas Mulcair took aim at Morneau's move to target additional Employment Insurance coverage to areas of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas. Herald file photo the country hit hard by the slump in oil and commodity prices. middle class tax rates – from 22 to the previous election, that’s “Right now there are 850,000 about how much they said they to 20.5 per cent for the $45,000 people who have lost their jobs to $90,000 income bracket. would do over a period of three who are not even eligible for EI,” years, and that they would return Only part of that is offset by Mulcair said. “The budget only an increase in the tax rate for to balance,” he told the Herald in takes care of 50,000 of them.” income over $200,000 from 29 to a phone interview. “There’s no Communities Minister Peter 33 per cent. timeline for a return to balance.” Fassbender said he is “delighted” Albas said he would be watchHe said he was happy to see at the infrastructure spending. investment in high speed internet ing that the large amounts of With his own government touting for rural areas, and commitment money are being spent responits four straight balanced budgets, to work on water treatment for sibly. “Ultimately, regardless Fassbender declined to criticize of your political stripe, I think municipalities and First Nations, the Trudeau government's borCanadians support seeing the both of which he said would row-and-spend strategy. government do its job and do it likely benefit the Nicola Valley. Closer to home, Central However as critic for interpro- fairly.” Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola The budget also includes $8.4 vincial trade, he was disappointed MP, Conservative Dan Albas, billion for aboriginal communithat topic has been largely said the budget wasn’t what ties. ignored. Canadians were sold back in Big ticket items in the budOctober. “If we hearken back – With files from Black Press get include the reduction of
For all your landscaping needs call the professionals at
FURNACE DUCT CLEANING THE BENEFITS OF FURNACE AND DUCT CLEANING:
2151 COUTLEE AVENUE tlcpond1@telus.net 250-378-4166
City council is giving themselves a 25 per cent raise in an effort to receive a remuneration more in line with what councils in similar sized B.C. communities receive. At its regular council meeting Tuesday (March. 22) council unanimously approved the first three readings of a council remuneration bylaw. The raise will see the mayor earn $25,000 per year and councillors earn $15,000. Previously, the mayor was earning about $20,000 a year while councillors brought in about $12,000. The total council remuneration will increase by $15,750 annually, with a prorated increase to date of adoption of the new bylaw of about $10,300 for 2016, a city report stated. Council hasn’t given itself a raise in about eight years. Merritt Mayor Neil Menard told his fellow councillors that an increase should have been done a while ago. “It’s too bad we’re the ones that have to bite the bullet, but I think we’re biting it and we should bite it hard,” Menard said. “The last thing we want to do is have people point and say ‘you’re the reason that taxes went up.’ You know what, if we sat down and figured out how much it was going to cost each citizen, it would probably be minuscule,” Menard said. After the meeting, Menard told reporters he thinks council remuneration should be reviewed annually. “[That] doesn’t mean there’s going to be an increase every year, but it should be dealt with every year,” Menard said.
t )FMQT SFMJFWF BTUINB BOE BMMFSHZ TVGGFSJOH t 1SPWJEFT B DMFBS BOE IFBMUIJFS MJWJOH FOWJSPONFOU t 3FEVDFT IFBUJOH BOE DPPMJOH DPTUT t 3FNPWFT HZQSPD EVTU BOE PUIFS BDDVNVMBUFE EFCSJT
250-378-5104 ONLY
$
98
Some exceptions may apply
00
Plus $1000 per outlet A/C $2500 EXTRA