Creemore
Echo
News and views in and around Creemore
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Publications Mail Agreement # 40024973
Friday, February 13, 2009
2.75% TAX INCREASE?
Growth Vote Pushed to February 18
Council to vote on budget March 2 by Brad Holden Clearview Township’s 2009 budget was presented to Council in draft form Monday night, and at this point ratepayers are looking at a 2.75 per cent increase in their residential tax rate. If the budget were to pass as is on March 2, Clearview would collect $8.93 million for itself this year, an increase of 3.23 per cent over last year. The percentage comes down however, because included in the tax levy would also be $5.2 million for Simcoe County, an amount 3.42 per cent higher than last year, and $5.01 million for the School Boards, an amount even with last year’s requisition. All together, that would mean an increase of 2.75 per cent on the Clearview tax bill. What that means for a house now assessed at $239,805 (which, if its MPAC assessment rose by the average amount, would have been worth $228,101 in 2008) is a $90 increase in taxes, from $2,639 in 2008 to $2,729 in 2009. Overall, Clearview’s 2009 budget is proposed to come in at $32.2 million, a full 29 per cent larger than last year’s $24.9 million. The reasons for the increase are, for the most part, the large influx of capital grants received last year, most of which were transferred to this year, and the funding anticipated to arrive this year as a result of the federal government’s stimulus spending. That’s reflected in the fact that the 2009 operating budget comes in at $18.3 million, just $804,000 more than last year, while this year’s capital budget comes in at $16 million, a full $6.1 million more than 2008. “We’re going to get a lot of stuff done this year,” said Mayor Ken Ferguson after Treasurer Mitch Carruthers’ presentation. “The grant money makes a big difference and we’re going to go look for some more as well.” (See “Tax” on page 7)
Vol 9 No. 07
by Brad Holden After trying to reach a consensus on the Township’s future growth for more than two years, Clearview Councillors are waiting another week and a half before making their final decision. On the agenda last Monday night was a report from the Planning Department offering four different options for future growth, and a request that Council decide which should be used when staff drafts the Township’s longsought-after Growth Plan. But Councillor Thom Paterson, at the start of the meeting, moved that the report and ensuing discussion be deferred to a special meeting at 8 am on Wednesday, February 18, predicting it might take three or four hours to come to a decision. Not all Councillors seemed to think the discussion would take that long, but Councillor Shawn Davidson seconded Paterson’s motion on the condition that a final decision is made next Wednesday, with no further delays, so that Council can deal with the ensuing Growth Plan at its next regular Council meeting on Monday, March 2. (See “Growth” on page 7)
Winter’s Not That Bad After All! With the annual Sunnidale Winterama comes Mayor Ken Ferguson (top left) and Councillor Roger McGillvray’s (top right) log-sawing challenge to neighbouring municipalities. This year they were triumphant again, clocking a time of 27 seconds compared to Adjala-Tosorontio’s 31 seconds and Wasaga Beach’s 33 seconds. As usual, the weekend was a great success, with Saturday’s mild temperatures in particular attracting area children to activities such as the hockey shot challenge (bottom left) and the donuteating contest (bottom right). For more on the event, see page 10.
Echo Briefs A Good Job at Christmas The final numbers for last December’s Hope Acres Salvation Army Christmas Drive are in and they are impressive. Their hamper program assisted 87 families, up from 60 in 2007. And their Christmas kettles raised $78,500, nearly $13,000 more than last year.
ARC Public Meeting The latest public meeting in the ARC process that will determine the future of Stayner Collegiate Institute will take place at 7 pm on Thursday, February 19 at Elmvale District High School. A decision is looming; now’s the time to be heard.
Quilts and Blankets Needed
Wind Farm Update
The Creemore Fire Hall’s supply of quilts and blankets has almost run out. More are urgently needed to keep people warm at accident sites. Anyone with old ones they’d like to donate can call Captain Jim Morrey at 466-3271.
The Honeywood wind farm proposal by Eolectric is moving through the approval process, and on December 15, 2008, the company filed an Environmental Screening Report (ESR) with the Ministry of Environment. A meeting hosted by CORE (Conserving our Rural Environment) last Saturday raised several issues with the report. The commenting period on the ESR ends on Friday, February 20. To review the ESR yourself, visit www.eolectric. com. To find out more about CORE’s issues and to find out how to comment, visit www.corecares.ca and click on “News,” and read the most recent Memo/Newsletter.
Kindergarten Registration Kindergarten registration will be held at the NCPS primary site, 35 Caroline Street West, on Wednesday, February 18 and Thursday, February 19. To be eligible, your child must be four years of age by December 31, 2009. Please call the school at 466-6314 or 466-2624 to make an appointment or for more information.
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