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WL anxiety high over MURS costs Draft budget calls for 4.68% increase on township portion By Joanne McDonald For NewsNow Taxpayers may have a new West Lincoln Community Centre (formerly MURS project) but they’ll be absorbing the shock felt by council Monday night. Council was informed that operating and capital costs for the recreational facility will account for the lion’s share of tax increases proposed for this year’s budget. Overall, residents can expect an estimated increase of 4.68 per cent or $56 more than last year for the township’s portion of the tax bill on an average residential property assessed at $363,877. Taking a first look at the draft budget for 2019, council expected the $307,000 third and final capital allocation towards the new recreation centre project. It followed the first two installments of $283,500 in 2017 and $297,950 in 2018 for a total over $888,000. What wasn’t anticipated was nearly a $100,000 increase in operating costs to run the new facility whichhas been included in the base budget. “Why couldn’t we have had this information
earlier?” asked Mayor Dave Bylsma. “I asked the (previous) mayor, the director of public works and the committee for answers to how the operational cost would increase.” “It would have been very appropriate to have this information before we went down the road with the community centre,” Bylsma said, noting the information was not delivered as part of the construction plan to build the facility. “I really feel that somehow taxpayers were robbed of this information that we’re getting tonight,” said Bylsma. He suggested funding the increased costs for staff and services should be supported in tandem with growth assessment. The draft budget notes that every $64,000 of additional expenditure added to the budget equates to a one per cent on the general tax levy adjustment or approximately $12 for an average assessed home. For the 2019 budget assessment growth is estimated at $153,000 (2.39 per cent). This means that of the $460,670 increase in the required tax levy, the first $153,000 of that increase does not increase See BUDGET, Page 2
(Above left) Julie and Stuart Hunt with their newborn addition - via St. Catharines General - baby Caden, born Saturday, Feb. 23 at 8:02 p.m., weighing in at 7 lb 13 oz. (Above right) Two excited sisters, Emily, left, and Jenna.
Well, that didn’t take long
First day of weekend closures sees Beamsville mom rerouted to St. Catharines General for third birth
Dear Editor, If Hamilton Health Sciences CEO Rob McIsaac believes the weekend closure of the OB ward is not a big deal and won’t affect too many moms. Well, I was the first to suffer the shortage and mismanagement of nurses and staff. As arranged by HHS for moms in labour to be directed to McMaster, my husband and I prepared ourselves to go to the St. Catharines General instead. And just our luck, Saturday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m., my labour pains began and prompted us to swift action. By the time we dropped our children off with family in St. Catharines at 5:30 pm, our beautiful baby was born at 8:02 p.m. by a tremendous health care team at the St. Catharines General. We knew the distance to McMaster would not
Letter be feasible. We sacrificed my doctor not being permitted to be called in for my labour and all my children not being born at the same hospital, which we know and love (and they point out every time we drive past). It worked out great in the end thanks to a great experience at the Niagara Health System, a dedicated staff and a gorgeous facility but it didn’t come without a degree of stress and anxiety. For Mr. McIsaac, yes, babies are born on the weekend. We don’t have a choice in that. Julie Hunt Beamsville