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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the County Town Michael lan Burgess; Publisher. Managing Editor Ie only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-6111 The Free Press Building, 131 Brock Street North, P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. MICHAEL J. KNELL Community Editor MARJORIE A. BURGESS Advertising Manager Mailling Permit No. 460 Second Clase Mail Registration No. 5351 Town's 1982 budget shows good fiscal management Last week, Whitby Town Council struck its current and capital budgets for the year 1982. The budget, unlike those handed down over the last year by the federal and provincial govern- rments and unlike those soon to be handed down by other local governments, was a marvel to behold. The town's expenditures for 1982 will increase by about 16 per cent, however, taxes will only in- crease by 4.5 per cent for those homeowners in the "urban area" and by 2.6 per cent for those living In Brooklin and the rural area. The major reason for this growth In expenditure without a corresponding increase in taxes is growth. The Town of Whitby has experienced a good, steady growth rate over the last year and this has been a benefit to ail taxpayers. Congratulations should be extended to ail members of Whitby Town Council and its staff, especially Administrator Bill Wallace and Treasurer AI Claringbold for producing this finan- cali framework for the town. The budget provides for many worthwhile pro- jects and two deserve special mention. Firstly, the Whitby Transit System will soon be offering an expanded service. By April 15, council hopes to provide bus service until 11 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. What is amazing about this is that if ail things go as planned, this extended service will also cost the taxpayer an additional $18,000 - that is less than 50 cents for every man, woman and child living In our community. Council has also authorized the public works department to spend $10,000 for the erection of "........ I am in complete sympathy with the Toronto gentleman who complains that the upper cross-belt of a car's seat belt catches him right across the neck and half strangles him. His problem is that he is about five feet tall in a world con- structed for bigger people. My problem is that I am some- where between six foot four and six foot five in a world consiructed for smaller people. Being oversized is just as rough as being undersized in any society that is geared to the average the way ours is. My problem in automobiles is not so much with seat belts. It's that I can't wear a hat in a car or straighten my legs out on a long drive. And l'Il match horror stories with my short colleague any day of the week. I suppose his problem in movie theatres is get- ting stuck behind a towering lunk like me. I have some ad- vice for him. Don't sit on the aisle, because if I'm lucky that's where he'll find me - waiting for the movie to begin so I can angle my legs out into the clear space and get some relief. Try sitting in the movie "Reds".for three and a half hours attempting to ease the numbness in your behind and the crick in your spine without wrecking the movie for everyone behind you. Try crossing the Atlantic in a tourist seat when the man in front of you is one of the blessed few who can sleep. If his seat back is reclined, you're doomed to read in the saine position, a kind of airborne mummy on a permanent incline. Try to get to sliip in a hotel bed that an insensitive manufacturer isn't complete without a foot- board. I won't even d3al with the problems of clothing. Suffice it to say that the January sales mean nothing to me. Mutt and Jeff unite. We've nothing to lose but our pains. That's not news, but that too is realityi bus shelters throughout the town. Provision has also been made for the renovation of the Kinsmen Pool at a cost of $75,000 - none of which will be financed from the general tax levy. This pool is the only outdoor pool in Whitby and, in fact, is one of the only two in the town, the other being the Iroquois Park Pool. This expenditure Is expected to give the pool another 10 years of life and will be of greatbenefit to the children and other recreational swimmers who cannot, for whatever reason, use the Iroquois complex facility. Howèver, it Is unfortunate that the Whitby Public Library did not recelve the needed $176,000 to put a booknobile on the road. While the im- plementation of such a service for the outiying areas of town is needed and merited it could not be financed uniess it was taxed for. Perhaps in 1983, the town will be able to find the necessary funds to providr such a service. The town is also to be congratulated for its "pay-as-you-go" policy. This means that the town will not issue any debentures in 1982. In fact, treasurer AI Claringbold says that the remaining $2.6 million in debenture debt will be paid off in the next 16 years. By not issuing debentures, the taxpayers will save money because they will not have to pay the current-high interest rates to carry the debt. This is a sound fiscal practise to follow. This budget means that the average Whitby homeowner, whose property has an assessed value of $5,000 will only pay $16 more for town services in 1982. In Brooklin and the rural areas, only $8.50 more will be paid. However, these increases are only for Town of Whitby purposes and do not include the property tax hikes yet to be levied by the Region of Durham or the public and separate school boards. These three bodies will strike their respective budget sometime in the next few weeks. There- fore, any big jump in the overall property tax bill will be their responsibility. In fact, it is our hope that these bodies can take a lesson from the Town of Whitby's budget. If they do, the property taxpayer will be further ahead. But alas, we do not believe that this will be the case. Whitby Town Council's budget for 1982 prac- tises~hot oniy fiscal restraint, but good fiscal management while providing much needed muni- cipal services. This Is indeed a refreshing change from the budgetary "doom and gloom" that has been in the headlines recently from our nation's capital and from Queen's Park. One would think that a relatively small municipality such as Whitby would have greater mónetary problems than larger municipalities such as Durham Region. This year's budget proves that this need not be the case. The townis Son a sound financial footing and If the growth that has been experienced continues in 1982 and the years beyond, this will truly be a place to "Live, Work and Play." I Thanks for your Dear Sir: On behalf of the patients, Volunteer Association and staff of Whitby Psy- chiatric Hospital, I would like to thank. ail those in the community who responded to our request for Christ- mas gifts. The continued support and in- terest of the comm- unity is a great con- tribution to rehabili- help tation in the hospi- tal. A special thank you to you and your newspaper for print- Ing the article regarding Christ- mas gifts for Whit- by Psychiatric Hospital. All the best in 1982. Sincerely, Cindy Newman, Co-ordinator of Vol unteer Services. 'l mm 1 "M»MMMM