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Rec fee help may be hiked 1 By Tim Foran Town staff are recommending an increased budget, but witb a cap on partici- pants, to tbe municipality's fee assistance program for recreational and leisure activi- ties. Beginning next year, the municipality would allow a maximum of 125 low-income individuals to receive up'to $200 eacb, for a total $25,000 budget, to participate in Town- provided programs, according to a new féee assistance program policy proposed by staff. Council can ratify the recommended pot- icy at its meeting Monday night. The proposed maximum budget is only slightly more than the amount the munici- pality is likely to spend on the fee assistance program this year. For the first nine months of 2009, the Town bas provided an average of $188 assistance to 93 individuals, belonging to 57 families. Tbe Town bas maintained the fee assis- tance program since 1994, but a policy out- lining the maximum number of participants and eligibility cnitenia is now necessare due to tbe increasing number ofl low%-ncome individuals and familles requesting financial assistance, according to a staff report reviewed by the community services com- mittee last week. If take-up of the program continues to increase at the rate seen over the pasntbree years, the municipality would ikely receive applications for more than 125 applicants next year. If that happened, the municipality Grand Opening Pl ease joi usas we celebrate the officiai open in g of Beaty Branch Monday, Novem ber 30 945 Fou rth Li ne Milton, ON L9T6P8 .Dignitaries -S oo pmr Speeches & Rbbon Cutting -5 30 P m Tour of Granch and refreshments to follow until 8o p.rm RSVP. : myra.gbbs@mpl.on.ca or 905 875.2665 ext 3254 For more information visit us online: www.mpl.on.ca Eligibility criteria in the proposed policy 1include: *Fee assistance would be open to resi- dents of Milton and only for regular recre- ational or leisure programs - flot drop-in programs, private or semi-pnivate lessons, or annual fitness passes. *Assistance wouldn't be eligible for sen- iors' programs as the Milton Seniors' Activity Centre already administers a separatc fec assistance program for its members. - Applicants would have to fait below the Low Income Cut-off (LICO), an income tbresbotd compiled by Statistics Canada on an annuai basis. The 2008 maximum mndi- vidual income, or LICO, is $ 18,946. Tbe median housebotd income before tax in 2006 in Milton was $87,739, about $20,000 more than the provincial average, but the number of famities living betow the LICO in the municipatity increased by 138 per cent from 2001 to 2006, according to the staff report. Statistic', Canada dot-s not differentiate tIO b\- )5province,. icrelorc \drlatltii',in minimum wages are nc)t taken into account. Ontario currentlv has a minimum \vage of $9.50 per bour, sccond higbest no Nunavut. An individuat earning that amount and working 40 hours a week woutd bc earning too mnich to quatify for fcc assistance from Milton. Tim Foian can be reacht'd ai foran@nil<)n- canadiapichatnpion.c oni. 905-875-0303 - Pricos in effect Mai n i..t on.Thurs 830 arn- 7 pm * Wednesday, Navember 18 m 1 J Fîdy3ar p *o taj L ur .j Saurdayl30 amrn 6 prnm p Tuosday, Novembor 24. .5EuE: day 9am -5 pr Milton's Choice for Ten ears Running' s0 A(D Classic Wiit Bread