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I E---- Ll 16 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 17, 1987 Fubishwed y Tuesday by ron Peary Sta Compas, Lanse Bon Beoon ly LE | LJ Derving n and Ar ¢ a NC 1983 'Brooklin Profile ROXANNE REVELER . i IN + Durham Board hoping to keep tax increases down The Durham Board of Education is having a difficult time trying to keep its 1987 budget down to avoid mill rate increases that could go as high as 12 per cent The present budget figures would see increases throughout the region vary, due to population, from 93 per cent in the Whitby area, to a high of 12 per cent in Vshawa, an increase that could mean an additional $82 on the tax bill of a home assessed at $10,000 for municipal tax purposes Although most. of the boards trustees find a double digit in crease unacceptable, they find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. To decrease the mill rate by just one © percent, the board must cut some 72,000 from the budget according to the new board chairman Sandra Lawson. Lawson has stated she would be happy if the board can keep any increase to 10 per cent, the same as last year One of the areas Lawson feels might take the brunt of budget cuts is the construction of new gym-' nasiums. The board currently has a waiting list of schools around the region who either have no gyms at all, or substantially poor facilities Although the board has traditionally constructed one gym per year, they have included three in this year's budget, which might be cut Lawson said each gym. or general purpose room, costs some a figure - ~ crease In $900, 000, adding the board may not be able to fund all three projects Nex in line for new gyms were Kedron School and Greenbank School The board has found its operating costs (which include salaries, supplies and services), up 10 per cent this year, and capital costs for 1987 have escalated an amazing 53 per cent as the board has committed to twice as much construction of badly needed new schools in the region. B At the last board meeting, Whit- by trustee lan Brown, who is chairman of the finance commit- tee, stated the board also faces a 19 per cent increase in employee benefits due largely to increases in retirement gratuities, workers' compensation, unemployment, and pension plan benefits. The board has also approved the hiring of 68 additional staff next vear, including 36 teachers to ex- tend the core French program. Brown alluded that although only four months of salaries will be taken into account in the 1987 budget, the impact will be twice as great (over $2 million on the next budget). Last year, the board hired an additional 77 people. Other proposed figures included -in the budget are a 16 per cent hike in transportation funds, an 18 per cen! cut in employee assistance programs, and a 25 per cent in- funding to replace equipment in technical programs. Lawson did, however, indicate she has learned the per student grants are to be higher than expec- ted this year, a rumour that has shed a little optimism into the budget talks. The board is expected to give final approval to the 1987 budget in early April. Going to council : Historical Society loses its bid for 'free' audit The Whitby Historical Society has lost its bid to have its finan- cial statement audited at the tax- payer's expense In a 6-1 recorded vote, council members rejected the request of the Society that a statement presented at recent budget talks either be accepted as background for a $20,000 grant request presen- ted to the town, or that Whitby pay for an official audit of the Society books. Last year, the Society received a special grant for $6,500, substan- tially lower than the $20,000 amount asked for in the 1987 budget. During budget talks the previous week, council said it was unable to accept an unaudited statement and asked that the Society forward an audited verso to the operations committee at y later date for consideration But in a letter dated March 7, the Historical Society claimed it had been advised by its accoun tants and by provincial authorities that the statement originally sub mitted to council was "adequate for a non-profit group. It did conclude, how ever, that it was prepared 'to present an audited statement if council w ould authorize payment for such an audit to be made by the town. West Ward Councillor, Joe Bugelli, stating he spoke for the majority of members, said it was not in the town's best interests to allow other agencies or parties to dictate town policy. Regional budget hits $42 million Regional council will be asked next Wednesday to approve a 1987 budget of $42 million brought for- ward by the finance committee...a budget that would see a 9.8 per cent ihcrease over last year. The amount brought forth last Thursday falls within the 10 per cent budget increase target figure that was set forth by council mem- bers at an earlier meeting. The budget for Durham Regional Police of $27 million is by far the largest single component of the total budget to be dealt with. Policé have already cut $127,000 from their original submission by eliminating requests for a con- stable and civilian employee, who were to have started employment in June, as well as the deletion of three police cruisers and various other sundry equipment. The works department has Professional storyteller Dan Yashinshy had everyone's attention as he wove his tales at Ashburn Community Centre last Monday mor- right, Justin James, Christian Sen- ng one of his ning. Shown from left to Janushewski, sicley and Charley Scala enjo amusing ditties. Over 35 End of story Karen | residents, A mainly children, showed up for the special event put on by the Brooklin Library at the Community . Centre. Yashinsky was part of a week-long tour during the spring break sponsored by the Ontario Library Service Trent in co-operation with the Mariposa in the Schools program. The performance by requested a $7.8 million budget, representing a 3.4 per cent in- crease over 1986, with almost $2 million of that set aside for road reconstruction and repairs. General welfare will acount for almost $5 million of the budget. Also included are pre-authorized expenditures of $450,000 for the purchase of a new police station in Pickering and $360,000 for renovations to Fairview Lodge in Whitby. The finance committee also ap- proved a deletion of $50,000, from the fund set up to incorporate a 911 emergency telephone system in Durham and a like amount from the waste disposal site reserve. Both of these were new funds set up earlier this fiscal year. The cuts still leave $275,000 in each fund for the future projects. But finance commissioner Jack Developer denied Raglan will remain a dreamy lit- tle hamlet for a while longer, despite pleas from developers to construct what they refer to as a "prestige subdivision. Oshawa"s planning and development committee. has refused to conduct a special study on the hamlet. located two Kilometers east of Myrtle. The refusal has put a halt to any new construction as it is required prior to any development of the area. Kingsberry Properties Limited had proposed the construction of executive, high-priced homes on 40 acres of land in the south-west sec- tion of the small community. Gartley expressed his concern over cutting funds from the 911 project. He stressed that it will cost the region $1.5 million to initiate such a system and an ad- ditional $1 million to operate it. suggesting it might be folly to leave all the funding requirements to the last moment. Finance chairman Jim Witty of Ajax assured that both the 911 system and waste disposal project are far into the future. "The 911 system has not yet received council approval", said Witty, adding the $275,000 figure proposed for a new dump site would only serve the region for about 5 years. The committee has also proposed to include $100,000 in this year's budget for a new regional headquarters building. No boom for Raglan Oshawa has consistently refused to permit development in the area since 1975, and Kingsberry. who owns the land. recently offered to conduct such a study itself to speed up the process. But councillors did not support the idea of having a hamlet development plan compieted by a developer. stating when such a report was undertaken. it should be by their own planning depar- tment staff. The Oshawa Official Plan has slated Columbus, lying to the south, as the growth hamlet of the area, while designating Raglan to remain as it is. save for mmor development. It was quite a story There was a hush over Ashburn Community Centre on Monday morning as over 35 residents. from the very voung. to those who weren't quite so. young. found themselves wrappéd up inthe tales woven by well known storyteller Dan Yashinksky Yashinsky was in Ashbuen thanks to the Brooklin I, ibrary and under the sponsorship of Ontario Library Service Trent and the' Mariposa in the Schools program The children. and their parents, were enthralled with the stories that encouraged their par taipation. and admitted to be scared out of their wits by several ghost stories told by Yashinsky One in particular. called "The Golden Arm' had a surprise en ding which gave the audience a real start. According to the master - storyteller, the offering is known to be the oldest English ghost stor) recorded. Yashinsky 1s a. professional storyteller. who travels around southern Ontario through the 'Mariposa in the Schools prbgram He kicked off a week of activities during the school break in Ashburn and will proceed to travel fhe ared north to Lindsay and east [0 Belleville before the weeks 1s ¢ He also acts as a teacher for the ose who wish to be more proficient i the art and was the founder of Storytellers School for adults Toronto ul the