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10- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 13, 1998 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" New council faces arena costs From page 1 of the air inside the build- ing, which could cost in the neighborhood of $40,000. Condensation has long been identified as a serious Injury group meets Peterborough & District Head Injury Association Support Meetings are held from 1 to 3 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Queen St. United Church in Lindsay. Information and sup- port for those living with the effects of acquired brain injury are provided. For questions or to vol- unteer, call Nicole at 705- 741-1172. problem at the arena, but steps to correct the situa- tion have been put off over the years by previous coun- cils. The build-up of moisture is causing problems with the paint, the brickwork of the walls, rot.in the boards, and corrosion of steel beams, said Councillor Carruthers. And another problem that must be addressed immediately is in the ice pad itself, along the boards at the west end of the build- ing. Councillor Carruthers said the pipes that carry the coolant don't reach all the way to those west end boards, and this is causing deterioration of the ice in that area. Correcting the problem could require mov- ing the boards in several inches so the pipes reach R.R.2 Oakwood - Corner of Hwy. 7 & 46 (2 miles east of Manilla) OPEN HOUSE January 23rd & 24th 10:00 am to 4:00 pm * large selection of new pattems * reasonable prices for supplies * classes for new & experienced painters * 8 weeks, 3 hr classes, moming & NeBahdbiz{oNsiSelbliz{n FIREPLACES IE S100 ESIC BY: ASR Jennifer Currie 705-357-3204 them. There could be a liability problem for the municipal- ity if a skater were injured because of the poor ice con- ditions, he said. While stating that these problems need immediate attention, Councillor Carruthers said whether there is money to address them all this year remains to be seen. "We will look at this at budget time and it will depend on whether funds can be made available," he said. Councillor Carruthers and township administra- tor Earl Cuddie will devel- 'op a detailed report on these problems for presen- tation to council before the end of February. Because of a host of financial uncertainties this year as a result of changes imposed by the provincial government, Scugog coun- cil is expected to take sev- eral months to finalize its overall budget for 1998. Tough budget ahead for Scugog From page 1 the expected shifts in taxation due to the implementation of market value assessment." Scugog Mayor Doug Moffatt said the township has to look at its 1998 budget with several scenarios in mind. The first is that there will be no increase in property taxes. But the mayor said the township must prepare for the fact that its rev- enues this year could be lower, by as much as 15 per cent. He warned that if revenues are down that much and there is to be no hike in taxes, services will have to be cut. Where to make these cuts will be a major problem for the council in setting the new budget. He said Scugog may have to tap into a no-interest loan program, created by the province to help municipalities get over the financial adjustments during the next couple of years. Councillor Gadsden warned, howev- er, that no-interest loans present a "double whammy," in that they eventu- ally must be repaid, and the township still has to deal with lost revenue. Provincial officials continue to sug- gest that municipalities can make up any shortfalls by imposing more cuts in - spending. But Councillor Gadsden noted that Scugog has already cut spending over the last few years, and is "running very lean" at this time. And as if all these uncertainties are not creating enough problems, the new Scugog council will have another one when it comes to setting its budget for 1998. Municipal spending in 1997 appears to be headed for a deficit of at least $50,000, and perhaps as high as $100, 000. Councillor Gadsden said a $50,000 deficit would not pose a major financial burden on the municipality. That deficit could be covered with funds in reserve accounts if necessary, he said. A financial statement (up to December, 1997) tabled at Monday's meeting of the finance committee shows several departments running over bud- get, while others are well under budget. The largest deficit will be in the roads department ($168,000). This was caused by major storm damage to sev- eral roads early last year, and extensive snow removal operations last January and February. "We knew the department was going to be over budget as early as last February," said Councillor Gadsden. INSTALLATION! Jan. 31/98 Hurry! 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