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£5 She v NG ih or AR Pe Ah) SC a wed So og Try Oe d v, LS Ae NEE - he 4 Paco o Ll vf a FARES SN eA, NSS > = Hew PR ad da (From page 1) approved and passed. Although expressing sympathy for the tax hikes facing ratepayers elsewhere the members from Oshawa and Whitby were fearful that if the budget was not ap- proved and the provincial government began tamper- ing with the factor system, this could mean increased taxes for their ratepayers. The compromise finally worked out in effect blocks third and final reading of the budget by-law for two more weeks, and in the interim, allows the delegation of councillors to seek a meeting with provincial treasurer Frank Miller, intergovern- mental affairs minister Thomas Wells, and revenue minister Lorne Maeck. CUSHION BLOW The delegation, which will include Regional chairman Walter Beath, and all the mayors from Durham, will be asking the provincial government for an increase in grants to off-set the shifts due to the new factors, and thus cushion the blow for property owners. Durham has already received $170,000 in grants to soften the impact this year, but members felt that in light of 17 per cent increases in taxes, this obviously was not enough. } During debate last week, several councillors admitted frankly that they don't fully understand the new system of equalized factors which was passed last year by the PAT HENNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR MARCH SPECIALS TREATMENT reg. $22.-%18. (Offer Expires March 31, 1980) provincial government for all parts of Ontario for use in the 1980 taxation year. MISUNDERSTOOD And there was general agreement among council lors that statements from Cabinet ministers recently had been mis-understood. The councillors said they thought the provincial government would not allow the impact on any municipa- lity to be more than five per cent. However, that proved not to be the case. What the new equalized factors do is provide a method for calculating the total assgssment of all property in each municipa- lity, based on 1978 market value, rather than the old 1969 values. When this is done for all the area municipalities with- in Durham, the Regional levy can be apportioned to each based on the respective percentage of total market value assessment for the entire Region. The new factors are supposed to reflect the changes that have taken place in property values over - the past decade. In other words, Scugog's share of the Regional expen- ses should be the same percentage as Scugog's share of the total assessment value of property in the Region. While the impact of the new factor system took up much of the debate over the Regional budget last week, TONY IUELE (Formerly of Monte Carlo) is pleased to announce the purchase of the HAIR CENTRE PORT PERRY PLAZA 985-7232 Tony, Pat and Linda (form- erly of Monte Carlo) are happy to join Angelo, Mari- lyn, Darlene, Mina and Marlene at the Hair Centre and welcome you to call or visit them at their new location. Hair Centre now has eight experienced Hairstylists to serve you, and can capably offer you the lastest in any hair requirements. HAIR CENTRE PORT PERRY PLAZA 985-7232 Monday to Wednesday - 9 to 6 Thursday & Friday -9to 9 \ Leh =~ EELR CF) 2-- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, March 26, 1980 Durham Region budget hanging in limbo there was several half- hearted attempts to trim some of the spending of certain regional depart- ments, but they were all defeated, and the spending estimates remained intact. A motion from Oshawa councillor Allan Pilkey to trim $25,000 from the deve- lopment department's promotions budget was defeated easily, as was a second motion from Pilkey to eliminate a clerk typist's job within the development department. A motion from Newcastle councillor Ann Cowman to cut $8000 from the finance department budget was also lost, as was a motion from Oshawa councillor Margaret Shaw to cut $25,000 (or $140,000 in total) from each Regional department except social services. Oshawa councillor John McLaughlin put a motion in front of council to slash the budget by $584,000. However, this motion was ruled out of order by Chair- man Walter Beath because McLaughlin didn't specify from what departments the. cuts would be made, if the motion passed. $23.5 MILLION As usual, the largest bud- get by far is that for social services, totalling $23.5 million. However, provincial subsidies and revenues from homes for the aged and day cares are taken off, the net cost to the Region is $4.1 million. LINDA Saturday-9to 5 after Aa 78M Ve. AY SRY NA FRETS Soy JERAA SL Wie The next largest individual budget item at $14.6 million is for police protection, with the net cost to the Region at $10.2 million, or an increase of 20 per cent. This is due to the expansion of the force into Brock Township and the addition of new officers. If the budget which is now hanging in limbo, is passed as is without changes, Scugog Township ratepayers will be asked to come up with $997,927, an increase of 21 "9 he A per cent over last year's figure of $824,390. Natural assessment growth of 3.4 per cent will mean a net impact of 17.7 per cent. The Regional budget accounts for about 26 per cent of all the tax dollars collected from property owners in Scugog. The Durham Board of Education budget, expected in the next few weeks, accounts for just over 50 per Ch AOE RE FS PA SED Te AANA LIA Ad, ria cent of the tax dollars collec- ted in the Township. Be- cause the new equalized factor system applies for education purposes, local councillors are afraid that Scugog ratepayers are going to be facing even more hefty tax hikes than those at the / Regional level. About 25 per cent of all tax dollars collected in Scugog A 2 will be used this year for 4 local Township purposes. Province puts clamp on Seaton project The provincial govern- ment has announced that the planned town of Seaton in North Pickering which was to house 78,000 people by the year 2008 has been put on the shelf for five years at least. The news caught Durham Region politicians by surprise last week, with members of council from Oshawa who have opposed the mas§ive project, relieved. at the decision. Over the past several years the provincial govern- ment has acquired some 10,000 hectares of land for the new community which was supposed to_include a mix of residential, commerec- ial and industrial develope- ment. Although no one is exactly certain how much the entire project has cost provincial tax-payers to date, the figure of $270 million is mentioned by most observers close to the scene. With the announcement last week that the project will be reviewed again in five years time, there was immediate concern express- ed by regional chairman Walter Beath that property owners in Durham could be faced with picking up the operating expenses of the massive York-Durham trunk sewer system which was designed to service the new development. The project has been surrounded in controversy since the beginning. As late as last fall, it appeared as if the provincial government was marching full steam ahead with the plans, when detailed information was released by the Ontario Land Development Corporation, a (Turn to page 6) No decision on work-for-welfare* Able-bodied welfare reci- pients in Durham Region will not have to work for their money, at least not for another few weeks, anyway. Regional council last week agreed to wait for a report on the issue from the Social Services department before voting on a resolution from Oshawa Mayor Jim Potti- cary which calls for able- bodied welfare recipients between the ages of 18 and 30 to be formed into work groups for community pro- .jects in return for their welfare money. When the resolution came . before council, members wanted more information about such things as how many recipients fall into the category, how much it might cost to supervise the work battalions, and how much 50%..25% OFF selected GIFTS ...ACCESSORIES Ae doe ole ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok 15% OFF 7 PINE FURNITURE kde ok ok kok ok ke ok se ok ok ook kok ok ok ok ok ok all You owe it to yourself to visit Settlement House in the Heart of Port Perry 183 QUEEN STREET 985-8234 they are presently being paid in benefits. Council was told that the Region's Social Services department is now in the process of preparing a report which should answer these and other questions on this .issue. However, welfare reci- pients in the Region had better be careful not to try to cheat the system as Regional councillors did approve a budget item which ear- marks up to $10,000 for a private investigator. Social Services committee chairman John DeHart, who asked council to approve the g funds, said the investigator could save the Region money in the long run by identifying welfare fraud, and also as a deterrent against those who might be considering an attempt to beat the system. %» L 4 -