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WhltbY F Pro Po, Wednesday, June 5, 1996, Page Trustee fires By Mike Kowall Town councillors Joe Drumm and Dennis Fox have been told to "butt out» of Durham separate school board business. Whitby trustee Mary Ann Martin has fired back at the two councillors for their recent criti- ciam of the board's budget pro- CMs. Martin takes exception to remarks made by theé air at Iast week's council meeting when they accused Catholc tutees of letting their publice chool coun- terparts talce the heat for this year's tax increase.> Martin, who stressed that shie has yet to see either councillor attend a board meetig,vsaid the two «mis-dirocted' their com- monts at the board instead of the party responsible for the i- crease. "Perhaps it (criticism) should be directed at the Mfiister of Education,» said Martin. "If we h'ad the same grants as sat year, we could have had a zero per cent budget.» Two weeks ago, the board ado p ted a $147.8-million budget that hikeed taxes 2.74 per cent across Durhamn (2 .2 jer cent in Whitby). Three weelcs earlier, the Durham Board of Education approved a similar increase. Althoug h the parate boatd thisys budget process haci Drumni and Fox soothing. Martin adinitted that her board cannot afford te stray too far from what the public board does or olse it will risk iosing supres Rowever, she said the criticismn was unfair because the separate board would likely have brought in a sinaller increase, than t he public board if not" for the Otarlo goverrnment. The board received $4.3 mil- lion luss ini funding from Queen's Park this year. Director Grant Andrews told ohe Pree Press that -the "actual loos» is much greater because the reduction didaflot take into account the five per cent inerease in student enrofiment. "We definitely would have a lower increase but we did not retain the sanie ants from the mmnistry,» said Minmp. "We asked staff what would happen if we came in with zero per cent and we were teld we would have toecut prograzns and considerably more staff.» Martin noted that trustees had afready chopd $10 million from last yoar's budget but could not afford te go further without endangering classroom, educa- tion. «Pýrom the phono calîs I recei- ved, people teld us te maintain programs, koep junior kindergar- ten ... they were willing te give up transportation,» she said. Martin said the increase, trans- lates into, a "meal out at back McDoknald's»y for the famuly or about 50 cents Por woek. «Everyone I talked te was wil- linetgive that up,,» she said. Te bottem lino, is that the dollars are going inte, the class- room. We lookedat ail avenues and this is the best we could up come with. «We have been working and not sittingýback in the corner." Bo0ard chair Tom Oldman, also a Whitby trustee, could not be reached or comment. TAX INCREASE 1996 Share SHARE 0F INCREASE The 1996 increase on the average property, assessed at $5,500, of both public and separate school supporters will be as 14ollows: 1996 1995 Dollar Per cent dollars dollars increase, increase Municipal purposes Regional purposes Total school purposes TAL2,550.35 2,51 2.95 37.40 Figures from Tomr of Whitby Treasurer. 594.00 526.90 1,429.45 .00 7.15 0 1.4 2.2 A special gift for Dad! FATHER'S DAY', June l6th 1OAM4PM~ Bring Dad o Gilet ONLDY only $19w99* Family for 2 aduits & 2 kids (up to age 12) Includes admission to the Car & Miniature Village UP t0 50 caî:çregisrered! hicliniig the Sclzneiders Car . !res *wenther perm:mtng Organize your own Family Tournament: ,, Horseshoes o'Volleyball e Basebali a Splash Ponds - Giant Stide - Trikes & Bikes for kids tax bill of taxes 594.00 519.75 1,399.20 BuTIcHERSHOP ~ Juno 51996 % -7 12ATHOL STREET,, WHITBY 430mJREAT Business Hours: Tues., Wed.., Thurs. 1lOam to 6pm, Friday 1 Oam to 7pm, Sat.urday 9am to 5pm (6328 cordialli' invites alfiriends ani embers of the Trafalgar C'oniiizunztv to attend a reception to honoîîr on the occasion of ('raig's retireinent as Head of Trafalgar CastieSehiool on Two to Four iii lie aifierizooi <if 401 Reynolds Street, Whitby, 905-668-3358