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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 1984, PAGE 3 Regionaltaxesclimb$12 à Whitby property tax- payers will pay 6.8 per cent more in regional levies in 1984. . At its meeting. ast week, Durham Rëgioral Council approved a 1984 budget with expen- ditures of $133.6 million. For the average Whitby resident, this will mean an increase of $12.08 in regional taxes in addition to the levy already imposed by Whitby Town Council and the levy to be struck by the.Durham Board of Education later this rmonth. Last year, local residents with homes assessed at $5,000 paid $198.58 in taxes to Durham Region. This year, they will pay $210.66. However, Whitby's increase is one of the largest in the region, being only surpassed by the Town of Pickerinb whose residents will pay 8.5 per cent more. The average impact in Durharn's residents is only 2.8 per cent. According to Mayor Bob Attersley, Whitby's increase is a sign of its growing importance in regional affairs. "We can accom- modate that kine of in- Study f or new bidn Despite strong op- position from the Oshawa delegation, Durham Regioial Council voted last week to spend $62,500 on a study to determine whether or not a new headquarters building should be constructed. The fight against the proposal was led by Coun. John Aker who at- tacked the project as being a "grandiose scheme." "I'm definitely sup- porting the status quo," he told his collegues. "I don't support the sale of this building." Aker said that the proposal seems "fairly innocent" but pointed put that new buildings are expensive and that the region is achieving some degree of financial stability. "From a financial point of view, we're finally getting our house in order," he said, "I'm not goint to fight ,an- election in 1985 with a Taj Mahal being built." Other Oshawa coun- cillors came out in op- position to the proposition but the vast majority of represen- tatixes from the region's other seven municipalities took a supportive stance. However, any changes of address for the region are at least three years in the future. Currently, the province occupies most of the space in the Rossland Rd. headquar- ters facility. At the end of 1987, the leases signed by the province to house the court house, the crown attorney's office and the Ministry of Revenue's assessment office will run out. Durham West .MPP George Ashe has already confirmed that the province may be willing to purchase the building when the lease runs out. Ashe and Regional Chairman Gary Herrema have held discussions on the matter in the last few weeks. A developer has also propsoed that the region build a new building on the north-east corner of Rossland Rd. and Gar- den St. - kitty-corner to its current location. Those councillor supporting the study point out that the region's administratior facilities are spread al over the southern pari of the region and it may be 'more efficient to house themail under one roof. Currently, the finance and social services departments are located in Oshawa while Consumers Dr. in Whit. by is home to the plan. ning and public works departments. Finance Committee chairman, Coun. Jim Witty.(Ajax) pointed out thát the Whole a'ffair hinges on a provincial government decision. Mayor Bill Ballinger of Uxbridge said that council should review the matter "objec- tively" without the political overtones. The decision to con- duct the study was made on an 18 to 10 recorded vote. The resuts of ,the study, which will be ne by regional staff, is expected to be known sometime in the next two months. Lent lecture seres All Saint's Anglican Church will again hold its series of lectures Wednesdays throughout Lent. This year's theme is "A Sacred Journey" and begins at noon with lunch being served at 12:30 p.m. at a nominal cost of $1.50. The series begins today with Rev. Ivan Dyer. On succeeding Wed- nesdays, the congregation will hear from Sandra Clarke, Verla Josse, Harry Ink- pen, Rev. Sylvia Dun- stan, Rev. Roger Maggs and Rev. Rod Barlow.1 All are welcome to at- tend. For more information call Mary Sheperd at 668-3547. The Lent series is also sponsored by the Whitby Ministerial Association. crease because of our growth," he said poin- ting out that the finan- cial burden for the region has shifted away from Oshawa to the faster growing com- munities. At one point, he said, Oshawa contributed 41 per cent of the region's money: That figure has since dropped to 37 per cent. The region will only send 6.4 per cent more than it did last year and of the $133.6 million it will spend, only $29.9 million will come direc- tly from the taxpayers. Most of the money will come from the provin- cial government by way of conditional and un- conditional grants as well as from user fees. For example, it will cost just over $35.1 million to operate the regional water supply and .,sanitary sewer system. While these funds appear as part of the budget, this program is totally self- supporting through the use of user fees. The region's solid waste disposal operation is also totally self-supporting. Most major programs conducted by the region are subsidized by Queen's Park. The local taxpayer only picks up 10 per cent of the cost of the general welfare assistance budget. The Durham Regional Police Commission's major revenue is the $17 per capital grant that it receives from the provincial government. Even road repairs and construction is heavily CONSIGNEX ANEW CONCEPT IN AUTOMOTIVE SALES LET US SELL YOUR CAR OR TRUCK •We'll Iist your car or. truck and sell it the same way you would list and seil your house through a real estate agent. *We'll advertise and display your unit. •We'll negotiate the price with the bùyer on your behalf. •We'll close the sale and handle ail the paper work. •We'll charge a com- mission paid by the buyer - not you. •Al you have to do is stop In and pick.up your cheque. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE! CALL YOUR CONSIGNEX R AY. >iGSBROWN PONIA BU:KL. financed through sub- sidies provided by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications. In his report to Durham Regional Council, finance com- rmittee chairman James Witty (Ajax) said that one of the reasons Durham was in good financial shape this year is last year's $1.68 million operating sur- plus. Furthermore, the councillor said that the region plans to issue no debentures this year. These two factors, Witty said, enabled the committee to recom- mend tax increases, that are "approximately half of the inflation rate." However, there are problems on the horizon. The province is changing its grant structure in such a way that the municipalities may have to raise a greater percentage of their revenues from the .property taxpayers. "This could cost the regioni a lot of money$ hesaid. Witty added that in- * • NEWGENERATION COMPUTER KEYBOARD DURHAM KEYBOARD CENTRE 355 BLOOR ST. W. OSHAWA 725-0001 flationary pressures are still being felt, especially in the public works department. "This is another year where it is costing us a tremendous amount of money to less work in the works department." However, the region can do little to prepare for these financial pressures until the provincial government makes its new policies known. It should be pointed out that the Durham Board of Education has yet to strike its budget. 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