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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 1980. WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby C Voice ot the County Town Michael lan Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Published every Wednesday by M.B.1. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-61 Il The Free Press Building. 131 Brock Street North, 1.0. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. Community Editor Production Manager Print & Promotional Manager Classiifed Ad Advertlslng Manager Brooklin I needs growth What is good about the development of Brooklin? If one thinks very carefully about It, the positive aspects of the proposai are becoming many and weighty. Brooklin makes good economic sense. When the project is fully developed, there should be 10,000 people in Brooklin, ail of whom will have something to give to our community. 1 It is even possible that when Brooklin is finished, property taxes throughout the whole town may go down simply because there will be more people contributing to the pot. With industrial growth, there will be job oppor- tunity and hopefully, security for many years to come. We wili have, if ail goes according to plan, a healthy vibrant community whose economic life is secure. Whitby needs that kind of growth. Our businessmen need it, because without it, they can- not hire new people or even keep the ones they have, in light of the national economic situation. Business employs people. People need to be employed. Brooklin may give us the opportunity to expand our business and reduce our community's unemployment. What about the financial risk involved? A major organization such as Consolidated Building Company is not foolhardy enough to literally throw away the $225 million they plan to spend on Brooklin. If they were, they would have gone out of business a long time ago. Being totally honest, it is difficult to say that Whitby does not need this kind of growth. If the proposai puts too great a strain on the Town especially in the area of ongoing costs, then of course it should not be considered. However, this has never been indicated. What has been indicated is that the proposai may be premature. Be that as it may, it does not negate the fact that we need that growth and that growth will be a benefit to ail the residents of the Town of Whitby and not just those who live in Brooklin. Here are just some of the positive aspects sup- porting the growth of Brooklin: -the Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham will have a substantially increased tax base. This tax base will be used to increase such services as police and fire protection; library service; social services (welfare, homes Ior the aged, family coun- selling etc); roads; water and sewers and a host of other municipal services. -with industrial growth, it is possible that a great portion of the present tax burden of the residential ratepayer may be lifted and carried by this in- dustrial growth; an increase in population will bring with it a demand for more goods and services that are largely provided by local merchants. Local business will thrive and grow because the number af custamers will have increased. -New business and new industry will create jobs and the revenue created tram these jobs will sup- port local business, provide additional tax revenue for municipal services, even reduce taxes; -the actual construction of the pro ject will create jobs especially in the construction trades and their suppliers and their spinaffs. Simply put, we need the growth. Economic prosperity demands that growth. Perhaps some of the confusion and the outcry against Brooklin is psychologically rooted. Whitby has never dealt with a project of this magnitude and perhaps, we aro a little scared of the project because of its size. Whitby has to take the risk, its positive aspects are too great to be ignored and when the prosperity it brings is cansidered It is foolish not to take the chance. But, Brooklin should not be kept secret either The Free Press has said in the past that we recognize that Brooklin must grow at some point in the future or stagnate economically. We believe that is is time for some very serious questions to be asked of our members of Council. We do not doubt their integrity or their honesty but do believe that some are hesitant to be totally open with the people of the Town of Whitby. The basic question is: How much will it cost the taxpayer of Whitby and the Region in the long term? And just as important, why are the recommen- dations of the senior staff, a highly paid and highly talented group of people, seemingly being ignored bycouncil ? (We have drawn this conclusion from the story in the Oshawa Times and events that have occurred in the past.) Why is the development of Brooklin so impor- tant to this Council considering the vacant residential and industrial lands in the lower part of the Town and which the Town has been trying so hard to sel1 for the past year or so? One primary reason for the outcry against the Brooklin development by residents in the lower part of the Town is the fact that they know vir- tually nothing about it. We do not want Council to bargain in bad faith with developers, however, they should not bargain in bad faith with the people who elected them. it appears as though every major decision on Brooklin and it's future has been made in a secret, or confidential, meeting. When the recommendations come before an open council, the reasons behind the decision are not always brought out and are left shrouded in a cloak of confidentiality. if Council would indicate and explain the reasons behind many of these decisions, perhaps the taxpayer could decide whether or not the proposai is a benefit to them. Perhaps, East Ward Councillor Joe Drumm is right but we cannot determine whether or not his right because the information is not always available for ail to see. It must be made clear that the rights of the Whitby taxpayer come before the rights of the developers and that Council must satisfy the taxpayer before it can satisfy the developers. If the interests of the developer and the tax- payer are in conflict, then the interests of the taxpayer must be upheld. It is logical to assume that Brooklin will cost a great deal of money to the taxpayer especially with regards to police, fire and ambulance ser- vices; social services; libraries; the maintainen- ce of roads and sewers and a host of other tasks and responsibilities that the Town assumes. The questions posed earlier must be an- swered to the satisfaction of the taxpayers of Whitby before any work is started. To make that judgement, the facts must be before the electorate. We are not asking for Council to negotiate with the developers in bad faith, just to keep the taxpayers informed and knowledgeable on the situation. The taxpayer realizes that Brooklin has certain needs, such as sewers, that must be met but they should not be fulfilled under the famous government escape of confidentiality. It is recognized that confidentiality is needed in some areas but it is not believed that the details of the Brooklin affair need that protection especially since the taxpayers of Whitby will eventually end up footing some of the bill. *Mike Knoll *Robin Lyonl *Kar*n ThorPSOIn