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2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, April 27, 2004 'Correction ai oflicer in court A correctional officier accused of provtding contraband to female rurnates for sexual favours wtt! retum to Burlington court May 18. Tise date was set Iast Tuesday during tise accused's first court appearance at tise Ontario Court of Justice in Burlington. Halton Regional Police charged tise adult maie employee of tise Vanier Institute for Women in Milton last monts wits four counts of breacis of trust and tisree counts of sexual assault. Tise identity of tise correctional officier is beig witisield to proteet tise safety of tise victirus, police said. 2004 Echo Hatchback LEASE FOR 2.9% ~i5 9 PURCHASE PER MNOSM F060 NMTS FINANCINI]' Wt/S $.900 ON MSRP *5 peed mnal transmssion -ABS *AM/FM sterec, cassette. 60/40 split f olding rear seat *Tilt steer Cg an.od more 2004 Camry LE LEASE FOR 4.9% de. ýeýPURCHASE PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTOs5 FINANCtiNG' W/TH $4,.136 OOWN i ýi FRE/ONT AND F0.E. /NCLUOEO SR 2.4L. 157hp engie 4-sped autoatic transmission Air conditionng - Powe, wndsos, Iocks and mirrors .AM/FM stereo CD Cassette Keyless entry and more 2004 Camy CE LEAE FOR 4»9% ýX9 CZîPURCHASE ffER MOTS MO 48 »MONT FIANCINS' WMO $2OM lON #Ff/fN AuR F.D.E. /NCLeDEFO- MSRF 1t8L, 130 hpangine 5 sped meuai transmission Air conditionîng * Power locks andmrrors AM/FM stereO CD - Keyless entry ..and moe lHefty police budget hike passes By JASON MISNER The Champion Total regional taxes are going up tisis year by an average of about $94 now tisai tise soaring Halton police budget bas been given tise green ligist. And wisile approving tise police budget isike of 13.1 per cent Wednesday, regional politicians, alarmed by bulging police budg- ets, sent a stem message tisat tise Province must corne to tise table to ensure policing costs don't keep rising and are better controlled. Next year's police budget is projected toi sec anotiser double- digit increase of 11.9 per cent. Council passed 15-2 tise 2004 police budget of $69.8 million. That's a sligistly trimrned down budget after council sent it back for more savings in Jatsuary. Il accounts for an average isike of $33 for policing per average isouseisold tisis year cornpared to last year. 2004 Sienna CE LEASE FOR 3»9% f299 PLIRCHASE PER MNOS FOR 48 AMNS FINANCINO' wr s, 109 OOWN ' - FREIGNTANVDPO.E.INCLUDEFO 40 MSR 3.3L, 23OSp engine. O5speed atomatic trnmsin-Arcniinn oe windows, Iocks and mirrors -AMIFM stereo cassette -Dual sdngouns .and more AREOAJT 200O4 Highlander V6 LEASE FOR 1. 9% ~399~PURCHASE PER MNO MM NOMM FIANCINO' nfE/O ND F06E INCLOR D &y» MSRF 3.3L. 230 hp, VS enne, - 5-speed automotic transmission .4WD * ABS Air Conditioning - Power Windows, loc ks and mirrors - M/FM stereo CDcassette .and more 400 Steeles Avenue 905 875-1700 IIIES www.mliton.toyota.ca elt Not just big.. Lîfe size. The ail new 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab "The budget is goiag to continue to grow at a very high rate." It incorporates a new contract and includes funding for 19 uni- formed officiers and 11 civilians, adding toi tise total current coru- plement of nearly 500 officiers. A majority of tise police budget is absorbed by salaries and bien- efits, beyond tise control of tise police services board. Overall, combiming tise police budget antd tise regional tax levy isike of 1.6 per cent isike along witis a 9.1 per cent risc in water and wastewater rates, total regional taxes will jump by sligistly more tisan 5 per cent tisis year versus last year. Tisat means a isouse assessed at $250,000 will psy about $1 ,800 in taxes, up rouglsly $94 froro st year. 'Mat doesnmlude education taxes set by tise province, expeet- cd by the end of May. Regional council, meanwisile, unanmously passed a separate motion tiat tise Region write to tie LiberaI goverment urgiasg it to allow flexibility ini tise provision of service - like contracting out sorne services - as well as for a centrslized bargaining agent acroas tise province. If's an effort to reduce tise overall costs on tise police force, whics are borne by taxpayers. Krantz votes against hike Milton Mayor Gord Krantz and Burlington Regional Councillor Joisn Taylor voted against tise police budget increase. Mr. Krantz told council ise wouldn't be acting responsibly by approving a budget wits a double-digit increase. "I will not be a rubiser staanp," ise said. Mr. Taylor, a former seven-ycar member of tise police services board, said ater tise counicil meeting tisere bas been no allocation of 65 additional police officers tise force is looking at isiring. He fears future budgets will soar as a resuit. "TiMat's lot covered in tise budget or tise projections," ise said. "Tise budget is going to continue to grow at a very isigh rate." He also questioned wisy tise Province bas tisree representatives on tise seven-member police services board. "I don't understand, wisen tise Province isn't contributing any- tising fmnancially, why tisey bave almost isaîf tise members on tise board. Couiscillors arc iseld more accountable to tise budget, we sisould bave a mucis stronger majority." But Burlington Mayor Rob Maclsaac, wbo wants t0 sec provin- cial chsanges to belp reduce policing costs, cautioned if tmcd down, tise police budget could be appcaled to tise Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services, wisicb could set a bike "worse tisan wisat we sec today." Ballon Cisief Ean Algar said aftcr tise meeting tisat in tallcing toi otiser police cisiefs, municipalities bave cxpressed frustration over rising policing costs. "The more people lobby for cisange, tise (better) opportunity tise Province will respond to legisiative chsange." Jason Mianer can be reached at jmisner@miltoncanadian- champion.com. Highlights of regrional budget lnchuadi an agsocul raluffmo hk. meet a - Aboutt $2.5 million in waste managensent tnsprovenses, amnsg whieh inelude expatsditg rual roadside msisge and bIue box collection ini Buîiisgton. Milos anti Hule HUIs. - The takeover of road witluhiser nuaiptanee coat throoagb a deal reacet with tise lower-tier mumetpahlsttalut year. - The opening of two new long-terni care facilities Ibis year, one eacis in Burlingtos and Oakville, ait a coat of $741,300. *The ollenmg of an amibulance centre as Butaitaglt* a cosl osf $183,100. 1 ý