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781MAN T * &2,.- Milton's Community' Newspaper Since 1860 we±ekend Edition 1 ~ 1~ miTN876-4785 41ýA Named Canada ' Top Community Newspaper www.miltoncanadianchampion.com MMqzr S PO0RT S Impressive start for D-1 rookie N EW S Death rates drop at Halton hospitalsj A & E Raising the musical bar zero tax hike budget pssed By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP GRAHAM PAINE CANADIAN CHAMPION SOR11NG IT AIL OUT: Local Brownies and Rotarians recently helped sort donated toys and clothing at the Salvation Arm y's Toy Sho p Here, Rotary exchange student Raquel Arias, whos vstlng from Ecuador, is almost buried in the piles of donated stufted animaIs. The Salvation Army of Milton will help more than 250 children this Christmas. People can donate toys, clothing and gift cards until Tuesday. Gifts for teens are especially needed. BOB'lS AUTO SERVICE ~ Wishing you and your family a sakè & happy holiday this C'hristm as! The eliminaton of any salar\- hike for rcgional blliIon 2010 budget approved \\cdncday The changes, proposed by council's budget revuie\v commitîc Mondaý, \wýonî tchange the overali request- cd tax levy mcaning there will bc no increase next vear i property taxes lor regional services, wbich include items such as police, ambulance and regional roads maintenance. There will also be no increases in water raies, wbichi are paid by Halton residents on their clectricitv bis, Staff acbievcd the zero tax an(l rate increases in part by instituting a freeze on tax-supported new bires, except for police personnel, and keeping tbe number of municipal staff at 2008 levels. Property' taxes cover approximatel>' $318 million of the Regions budget, witb other major sources of revenue including provincial and federal funding, as well as money collected from developers for capital projecis. Councîl opted against a tax cut by ratifyîng a budget review comi-ittee recommendation put forth by' Burlington Councillor jack Dennison to forward approximately $800,000 in unexpected extra revenue into tbe municipahitys recession reserve fund, created last vear. Halions treasurv onlv recc ntlv learned it was getting the extra cash due to an increase in assess- ment - the number of new properties bcing added to the tax rolîs -lromn 2.42 pcr ccnt to 2.74 per cent. Dennison told the budget rcview committc Monday hie cidn't suggest the monex go to\vard a tax cut for two recasons. He [cit ihe chances of getting that throughi counicil in a year wben there was already a zero tax hike budget wcrc 'slim atdd nonc- and be [cit the nonev could lie uscd to mitîgate any potential tax increasc in 2011. -fli budget forccasts a 2.6 pcr cent tax bikein 2011, though staff have o-vcrcstiiinated such require- ments in recent ycars. At the same commnittee meeting, Halton Hills esee COUNCILLORS on page A2 a~. -. * *;~ ~*, . 1