The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

W Orrno WeeRJy T~m~s~ Wedne8day4 Decemb~r 17, 1~97 ~ Staying In Touch John 0'Toole Durhamx East.MPP This past Friday, Decem,,ber l2th. our Mnister of Finance, the Hlon. Emnie Eves, an-nouniced the provunc's îplan to eýxcha-nge fundihng re1-sponisibtïlles with the Reloalan Lca ees ofgoenen.Biel.we are removh,,ng $2.5 bin fomthe residential educational prop- erty tax b;îl and providln1rg a permanent $570 mliojn dol- lar Community l.RLinvestnent Fund. Ini retunn. the province is moving $3 bilîlin services that are best dellvered locally. At the provincial level, we are also comm-ý-ittung $75 million i each of the next two years ini unconditional trnsition funds. In 1995. the province announced th1at', the Municipal Support grants wcould bc pbased out ovrhe next 3 years. 1in 1997, this amnount ,was $665 milion do'l- lar-s. Clearly. the Municipal Support Grants ($665 muillion and the new Commiunity ReLvestmeint Fund of ($570 million) are riot! qu Mun-iricipal levels of govenn- m1ent wll also have to fund savings. There is only one tax payer (Federal. Provincial or Municipal) regardless of how you look at i t. it is only liatu - rai that municipalities. whethier AI s Metro Toronto or our local governxents. will blarne the province. Please, put things i per- spective. Remember when we were elected, we had an annual deficit of some $11. billion dollars. We were spending a million dollars an hour inIi nterest on our col- lective debt. We promlsed to balance the budget just like the Liberals. Furthermore, 85% or our spending is in transfer payments to univer- sities, school boards, hospital and municipalities. We bave reduced spendirng by 20% at the provincial level. WVe bave guaranteed funding at $17.4 billion to health care, and education spending is $ 14.4 billion. Every partner is spendung public taxes and mnust be part of the solution. Naturally. every sector must fnd innovative ways to do more with less. The impact li my rlding of Durbam East? The Region of Dur-ham will save $88.4 million li the edu- cational property tax andl take on an additional $1.412 million in additional services. Durham Region will lose $8.9 million in the Municipal Support Grant. The Reglon of DurhaîniM,11 have to fid sav- ings of $-10.3 million or 3.1 % of their own purpose budget of $329.3 million. Tlhe Municipality of Cla-rington will save $2.2 mil- lion ini the residential educa- tii ta--Adtakeon $1. million in additional services (net ÇgaÀin i $726,000). CLaringston will lose $1.199 will hv to ndsvgso $ 4 7 4,;0 00or1.7% of thei r own purpose udetof $28.3 million. The Township of Scugog will save $117 Illion in the residential educational tax and take on $858,000 In additional services (net gain of $316,000). Scugog will lose $4410,000 In the Municipal Support Grant. Scugog will have to find $;124. 000 of sav- tings or 1.6%/ of their own"_ pur- pose budget of $7.5 million. Oshawja.vil! save $4,03 million In the residential edu- cational tax and take on an add1-itional $537.000 ini addi- tional services. Ohwwil os$2. 28'2 milion in ýMunicipl Support rantýs. Oshawa will hbave to fn $2.819 -milion) of savi!gz? or 3.2% of their own purpose budge&t. Wý,hitby will save $2.403 million tri the residential cdu- cation tax and take oni $2.205 million ini additional services (net gain of $198.000). Wh-itbywill lose $911.000 ini Municipal Support Grants. Whitby wïll have to find $713.000 or 1.7% of their own purpose budget. Manvers Township of Victoria County will save $664.000 ini the residential eduLcation tax and take on an additional $270.000 ini addi- tional service costs (maunly rural pollcing). Manvers will ]ose $396.000 in Municipal, Support Grants. Manvers will have to fund savings of $48.000 of their own purpose budget of $2.8 million. They will receive $69.000 ini Community Relnvestmnent Funds and fundMiii peia transitional fnig Assessment F)o9r, mainly rural and nortem commu- nîtiles wlll recc,'Ilve the addl- tional assistance. In order to smooth the tranitin the province also decided to continue their funding for libraries. Furthermore, the Ontario Municitpal Employees Retirement Savlngs plan has declared a surplus. The OMERS savungs to munici-pal payrolls Ù3 about 2%an should furthler, assist ini fund- ing thesang The GTA poûling Issue is also changcd f rom the origi- nal proposai, Only social assistance and social hous- ing will be pooled in the GTA. After discussions with the Regions, the province has decided againrt pooling child care, ambulai4ce service and public health. Go Transit cost will be shared on a basis of assessment, boarding, and service level. The province bas also agreed to continue funding Goý-I'ransit for the first quarter ot 1998. 1 have leairned that the weaithy p s1the one who is c ontýentf with what they have. 1Thismiray br my last article before Chiistnaas. On behaif of a!1 of us wor king for you at- the constituen-cy office, we ext-end our sincere wishes for a hiappy, healthy and joyfiil Chr-istmas- for you and your famnily. RECâ'YCLE ao~i! of our frienôde rwd pat.rone we oay thamki5! Cce,ret.e imtylel HAIR WITH FLAIR What fun it is to celebrate Christmas, especially when the folks you treasu're bring you su 'i'uch pleasure. Tha'nks!- The Bridai Path Monica Rose Fashions After Houirs Cinie Memnorial Hospital Bowmanville Necw WVeekeud Hours Effectîve December 6, 1997 Open Saturdays & Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon. to Fn. hours remnain thie sanie: 6 - 8:.30 p.m. ,47 Liberty St. South, Bownmanv-Ille, ON IAC 2N4 (905) 623-3331 - Ext. 1900 ............... ........ ýiffl ------------- - 1, ýý mm nuumammumag