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2- The Oakville Beaver, Friday December 12, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Halton taxes going up Amber Door Spa Our award winning spa is the best kept secret in Oakville! Come in and relax your mind, body and soul * Facials * Lifting Treatments * Microdermabrasion * Chemical Peels * Organic Treatments * Registered Massage Therapist * Body Treatments * Manicures/Pedicures * Relaxation Massages * Hot Stone Massages * Reiki/Chakra Cleansing lmaster By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Christmas Gift Certificates Available It will cost the typical household in Halton Region $85 more next year to have roads clear, more cops on the block and continued fresh, clean drinking water. That's the bottom line for area residents as part of Halton's proposed 2009 budget. The Region's budget committee will debate the proposal Monday before final recommendations go to Council next Wednesday morning. The biggest hike homeowners will see is on their water bill, which is expected to rise almost $50, or by VER E BEA KVILL L WINNER OA MEDA GOLD BOOK NOW. REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPIST Sun Yoga provides a welcoming environment to practice and grow. Hot Yoga Ashtanga Hatha Flow Gentle Introductory special: one week unlimited only $20! 785 Pacific Road, Unit 15, Oakville 905-469-3309 Upper Middle Road Trafalgar Road Reeves Gate 3rd Line 1500 Heritage Way, Unit 6 Heritage Way N QEW 905.469.4825 www.amberdoorspa.com www.sunyoga.ca G Hearing aid not doing its job? Great Gift Ideas! · Unable to use the phone with hearing aids? · Hollow-sounding or echoing voices? · Not hearing voices well in noise? · Too much whistling? JUST ARRIVED... New Shipment of Metal Wall Decor No matter where you purchased your hearing aid, we will test it to see if it is giving you the best sound possible. At Hopedale Hearing Clinic we will maximize the performance of your hearing to suit your listening needs. Free hearing test for 55 years or older Call for appointment · Home visits available · ADP, DVA, WSIB authorized vendor · On site hearing aid repairs by appointment only (usually while you wait) · Complimentary clean & check hearing aids · Clocks · Jewellery Boxes · Afghans · Candleholders · Prints · Mirrors · Lamps · Photo Boxes · Storage Ottomans and more! Lots of Unique Accessories for the Home i Grand Open ng! Hopedale Hearing Clinic 1515 Rebecca Street, Unit 38, Oakville · 905-827-7333 217 Lakeshore Road East Downtown Oakville Since 1953 www.swissinteriors.com 905.844.3530 6.7 per cent, over 2008. Ironically, residents are paying more for actually using less water. The average consumption of water has gone down, meaning the Region is collecting less money -- money that it needs to pay for the replacement or refurbishment of water and wastewater facilities, explained the Region's Director of Financial Planning and Budgets. "As you're adding new assets onto the system, growth isn't helping you pay for it," said Mark Scinocca. He added the Region cannot simply plan for the average consumption of water users, but has to design facilities with the capacity to handle peak days when the weather is hot and water consumption is very high. However, Scinocca said the Region does expect to see `efficiencies down the line.' "We won't have to build as much infrastructure because of the fact people are consuming less," he said. Along with the approximate $50 water hike, householders can expect to pay about $17 more for police services and $19 more for services provided by Halton Region, such as road construction and maintenance, waste pickup and disposal, social services, public health and emergency medical services. The dollar figures above are for homes with an assessment value of $300,000. Unlike water and wastewater services, both police and regional services are paid for on the Region's portion of the property tax bill. Combined, the two services equate to a 2.8 per cent tax hike of that portion. That property tax hike could be almost wiped out if the Province paid its full share of Public Health and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programs, according to Regional staff. The Region is projecting that the Province will fall short about $4.7 million in its subsidies to the two services. The provincial target for funding of public health programs is to pay 75 per cent of the costs, but Halton only expects to see about 65 per cent funding next year. Similarly, though the Province aims to cover half of the costs associated with EMS, that funding is expected to be a couple percentage points below target in 2009. The problem is Halton Region's rapid population growth is preventing it from getting the money it's supposed to from the Province, said Regional staff. Increases to subsidies are capped at five per cent per year, which hurts fast-growing areas like Halton that see thousands of more residents each year requiring access to Health Department services. "Growth isn't paying for itself," said Regional Chair Gary Carr, pointing out the five per cent subsidy cap on a program like See Homeowners page 13