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;' e9'u xe t O M M _ Tax hke wn't b lare, sas Fo By Mike KowalskI Whitby taxpayers will not have te 'bite the bullet' when the Town's 1993 budget la delivered next month. Councilior Dennis Fox, Whitby budget chair, said local rate- payers do not have te prepare for a major tax hîke when the budget la presented Feb. 10. Althougli ho would not disclose specific details, Fox said Whitby residents wili 'ho "happy" with this year's budget. «Yeure always aiming for zero per cent (increase) ... but I expect the people of Whitby will ho pleased with the budget," said P~ox. Last year's combined operating and capital budget was $38.5 million, which represonted an average tax increase of 2.5 per cent across the municipaiity. While he hestitated te announce this yoar's increase, Fox said no one wiil sufer as a resuit of the budget. "People won't lose ýobs, pro- gramis won't be cut,' hoe pro- mised. Oalling it the "toughest budget we've been faced with in years,» Fox said preliminary work on the 1993 budget actually began airnost a year ago. "WVe really started ast spring after we reaiized what(Ontario) government grants we weuld and wo uidn't be getting," hie explained., sos hnba Serious discussost gnbfa in earnest last September alter staff submitted their funding requests, Fox said. 1I have to give council and staff an awful lot of crodit, they had te make hard decisions," said Fox. The fact that he is budget chair for the second successive year is.indicative of the unique econemic circumatances facing council this year, Fox said. "I' the first timne anyone's been asked -te ho finance chair- man twe years in a row, which la unusual. "There's a continuation fromn iast year, (severai) carry-ovor policies from the last budget." VSneak o f b ud geat Whitby residents will get a fsneak preview' of the 1993 budget. Councillor Dennis Fox said an information package containing bighiights of this year's budget w2lI homade available prier te the Feb. 10 budget meeting. Fox said the information package will ho given te the press and public at the rogular Town council meeting on Feb. 8. There Will ho an opportunity for the public to question council about the budget during the Feb. 10 meeting, said budget chair- man Fox. VOLUNTEER HOSTS Carolyn Morton Spca dinners'and'theme evenlngs are (Ieft) and Karen Popowich sample a few of planned from Jan. 30 to May 1. See story the delicacles available in The Station on page 9. Gallery's 'Evening of Fine Dining' series. Pht by Marký6eesO, Whilby Free Pross MEETING WITH MINISTER Town wants apartment bilt changed By MkeKowalski Whitby officiais are liopeful proposed legisiation remeoving municipal contre1 over heuse apartente wili ho modified by te Ontario govrnment. Foiiewing a meetinR with Housing Minister Evelyn Gigantes last Thursday, council- lors Dennis Fox and Marcel Brunelie are confident Whitby PB concerna about the legislatien wiil receiv'c careful scrutiny from the niinister. But eniy time will tell if these concerna are reflected in any possible clin.nges in the gevern- ment's thinking, they both admit. Bruneile and Fox were ameng a doiegation of Whitby officiais which met with Gigantes and her By Mike Kowalski An O)ntaie government preoslfor total provincial funding of welfare lias the full support oWhitby Mayor Tom Edwards. Plans for the province te fund 100 per oent of Ontario's soaring welfare costs in 1994 lias the bacIng of Edwards, chair of Durhamn Region's social services comnittee. Ho expects the move, announced last Friday after montha of discussion between the province and municipalities, will save local taxpayers milions ef dollars. "In 1993 the Rtegion will have te bring in $16 millien te pay our of Bill 90. Introduced last Octoer the bill makes it easier for house owners te croate an apartinerit in their homes. Accrding te the Igovernment, the legialation wil increase the suppi of affordable housing and,' previde help withrmortgage pay- monts for firt-time home buyers whe croate an apartment. Bill 90 aise addresses the rea- lity of approximateiy 100,000 existing avarmonts in houses across Ontarie, many of which are 11e g ai. Tý lgsiatien aise makes it ese for municipalities te enforce health and safety stan- dards for ail types of units, whether in houses or apartmnent other municipalities worried is that contrel over where apart- ments can ho built wiil ho taken eut of local handa. Municipalities would ne longer ho able te use local bylaws te prehibit second units in deta- ched, semi-detached and row lieuses as long as 'reasonablo' liealth and safety standards are met. However, municipalities wouid ho given improved powers te investigate preperty standards violations. "I 'don't think theyï thouglit threugli the full ramifications of this on most municipalities,» said SEE PAGE 31 1..... ~ ,wq T 194 tatwli diappar"..SidEd ..d..... "We ae abo t th onlyprovnce i Cand..t...doen..p.... per cent of welfare. It's a long overdue measure," ho said. The draft agreement hotween the province and Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) meana an estimated $350 million in weifare spending wili ho transferred te the province beginning next January. Until now Queen's Park paid 80 per cent of weifare costs while municipalities funded the remaining 20 per cent. SEE PAGE 31 1