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Shortfall Region readies for surprise deficit Tbe Regions finance department is preparing a plan action because of passible budget problems for amounting to a more than Si million budget variance problem been caused largely by revenue shortfalls from the Province for daycare and the Halloo Centennial Manor The amount to 1950 The impact of the provincial budget will also take a toll on the Region finances to tbe tune of WO through OH IP increases and sales tax on building materials and labor for maintenance A further shortage is possible In the roads system because of a overt in winter maintenance during last winter severe weather as well as a washout on Maple Avenue in Georgetown which will cost the Region In repairs Dennis Prrlln chief administrative officer told the administration and finance committee last week that there are cutbacks strategics already in place in areas of daycare and the borne for aged He said that regional staff is working with staff members from ministry of community and social services The Region hopes that part it not all of the shortfall will be made up by the Province The daycare can be handled but tbe Manor is difficult said Per in explaining that Centennial Manor budget has been examined by provincial staff but they can find nothing wrong with it Discussions with the Province will continue this week shortage In the road systems Is being examined by the public works director Bob Moore He is reevaluating the road budget indentify areas where adjustments ought be made to offset the winter maintenance He and his staff will also explore alternative methods of funding the Maple Atenue repairs possibly through the use residual funds from completed work in progress projects The committee also approved a recom to request an increase in the transfer payments from the Province to the local governments and school boards to compensate for the cost increases caused by rates and removal of sales tax exemptions included in provincial budget The net impact of the provincial budget on the Region is estimate at GOO or 1962 increasing to between and in 1983 The Association Municipalities of Ontario AMO is also objecting strongly to the 19B2 provincial budget The action of the treasurer of Ontario with respect to the collection of new and additional provincial revenues from local governments to most annoying and frustrating states tbe I report in Region j The 1963 budget indicates a complete lack of understanding or appreciation for local Initiatives towards fiscal accountability and even more importantly to the ability of Ontarios municipal governments to generate the required new revenues particularly at this point In the municipal fiscal year It would seem that tbe Government of Ontario has forgotten that Its own legislation prohibits local governments from deficit financing the report of the finance report at tbe committee meeting finally prompted Councillor Peter Arch to conclude that Halton la once a gain getting the shaft from the Province fieglon briefs Protest increase Region is objecting to Bell Canadas bid to increase telephone service rales next year unless Bell agrees to extend service to remove longdistance charges within the region and to Toronto Council Administration and Finance Committee approved a move to flic an Intervention the Canadian Radio- Television and Telecommunications Com mission objecting to the rate Increase Bell proposal originally called for a service in crease of per cent for residential service and per cent lor businesses However one councillor notes that I he federal government has advised Bell to slick to the six andfive per cent guideline established under a voluntary restraint program Low bid favored One regional councillor Is that major construction con tracts are going to companies outside Region The latest is a UOeBlO road resurfacing contract nabbed by Graham Bros Construc tion Ltd of Brampton the low bidder Second lowest bidder was an construction Stone Products Councillor Keith Bird at the regions Administration and Finance Com meeting last week that the two bids I though wc had passed a motion at one time to try to deal locally when we could Bird pointed out No Garden grant A supplementary grant request from the Royal Botanical Grade has been rejected by Region The board of directors had asked Regional council provide an extra above the grant of Grant restrictions have caused revenue problems for the Gardens but coun cillors rejected the request fearing the precedent thai might be perceived by other groups receiving Regional grants Pay own way residents living on welfare have lo continue buying their own car and life insurance Regional councillors recently approved a heal and social services committee resolution rejecting the idea of the Region providing that coverage Councillors had wondered If there would be any financial advantage to providing such insurance Ihrough group policies but social services director Debbie Oakley said welfare is supposed to be a short term type of assistance while insurance would be a long term commitment System reviewed Halton 9 budget setting process and committee system are going to come under review at two special meetings of Regional council to be held later this year The budget selling process will be the subject of a special meeting called for Aug IS A special meeting Sept will deal with the council and executive structure of the Region Both special meetings will start In the morning before regular sessions slated for the afternoon Energy reduction A program lo monitor and hopefully reduce Region a energy bill as been given approval in principle by Regional council Heltons program is operating under tbe municipal energy audit program rted by If provincial government Planned to take three years tbe program to currently in tbe stage an audit energy use on bow that use on be changed will be made the audit Collision kills cyclist on Sixth Line A yearold Georgetown man is dead following a motorcycle accident last Wednesday afternoon Kaivin Ferguson of 77 Ewing St died Wed evening at Toronto General Hospital of injuries suffered when the motorcycle be was riding collided with a car on the Sixth Line just south of Waterfalls Park The accident occurred around 2 30 In the afternoon according to Halton Police reports Mr Ferguson was apparently heading south on Sixth Line when he collided with a northbound vehicle driven by Brain lNorval Mr Ferguson was rushed to Peel Memorial Hospital and subsequently transferred to Toronto General Four members are returning Four Niagara Escarpment Commission members whose terms of office were to be were reinstated recently in a decision by the Ontario Cabinet Maryon Brechin Robert Ray Lowes and Anna McArthur will continue as members of trie commission They had been scheduled to complete their terms of office this summer so that new appointments could be made in August A press release from CONE Coalition of the Niagara Escarpment calls the of the four members a victory since according to CONE president Lyn MacMHIan these four are the most proconservationist of all the com Ac loo and Georgetown children and their parents gathered Saturday afternoon at Park In Georgetown for the Salvation Army picnic They really enjoyed this fool banana split ingred ients donated by Acton IGA The children and ad ulls pictured here are Shelly Cory Edison Crystal llilller Jannlene Vale Stacy Charlotte HUlier Angela Bridge Michael Note worthy Debbie Swindell Debbie Patey Noteworthy David Patey Trevor Marsh Elaine Marsh Meredith Roy Sheldon Stephen Grant Martin Marty la is on Trlna Vale Envoy and Mrs Douglas Vale Raymond and Doris Sluckless Steve and Lorn Thompson and Dan and Verley Reg and Marsh BUI and Sandra Pa ley Dan and Alice Noteworthy Cecil and Phyllis Tom and Alfredo Slucklesi Junior and Anne Oswald and Edison Benlu Edit on Brian Mann and Mary r inSIQ6 this section Prominent but loess man and Shorthorn breeder Stewart Bennett died at his Farm home last week at age M Page BI Regional Police are joining the dig at Crawford Lake to develop their detection skill PageBS Smiley nays it was a quiet summer until his arrived then Page Line reconstruction will not mean another gravel haul route Mayor Pomeroy says Agricrews sow seeds to help farm labor by Jane Mailer formers kept two four member Agri crews busy this sum doing everything from harvesting tc rebuilding barns Sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Agricrewi are hired for a period from one to five days for ISO a day Halton students comprised two crews which were in much demand since they began the tern porary farm labor program June However the success the program has convinced Agricrew co ordinator Patricia McCabe that at least one more crew could be utilized in and more advertising could have reached more farmers The Province should sponsor more ad vertising More farmers would use it if they knew about Agricrew she said Along with co ordinating two Halton and one Peel crews activities Miss attended farm meetings and displayed posters in feed store and other where far mers could tee and learn of service available to them Her methods of publicizing Agricrews must have paid off as he three crews only missed one day this summer and that was due to rain When the program first started Miss McCabe was concerned about getting enough inside work for rainy days but with Just three days left In the program there have been no problems finding bad weather Jobs The co ordinator recruited students between the ages of IS and to make up the farm labor teams and discovered some of those she hired found they werent cut out for the type of work It shard to find kids willing to work for the minimum wage Miss McCabe suggests She was able to hire replacements to fill the demand for local farm labor Dean Ingle Is just one of rainy fanners who was able to make use of tbe provincial govern ment program R was tbe first year vegetable producers hired an and be said the students did a pretty good job Earlier In season he hired a crew to weed fields of vegetables and recently had them return to harvest corn bound for farmer s markets in Milton Weston and Snelgrove We ve done a lot of different Jobs said David an foreman The 18yearold Georgetown youth and his fellow crew mem did a lot haying this summer as well as fence building and bam repairs I really the work explained Gourlay who has been working on farms part lime since last faU The experience Dave Caffry obtained this summer as an member will help In his efforts to become veterinarian The IB- year old resident has spent two previous summers working on farms and brought that experience with him to At first Heather McTavlsh of Milton found providing farm labor to be extremely hard work but the 15- yearold she got used to It Doing a different job each day made the summer enjoyable for her and she found bringing In ihe hay was the most fun Agricrews continue working in tbe area until August but they will be back next summer during the busiest fanning season of the year Town Clerk Ken Richardson Top man on Town totem officials rem and at the of the electorate but the Town staff who keep turning remain A serin on the department heath will introduce them and their to the readers This week we start with the top man Clerk Administrator Ken Harry Truman said it first tbe buck stops here and that could describe Clerk Admin Ken Richardson job He top man on the Town stall and In the end for all departments down the line An unassuming chap Ken is a native who a I tended Georgetown high school when J I Theres nothing too glamorous about a clerk department but it is- the hub of Town business wherereportsandtnformationfrom planning engineering treasury and building departments are coordinated and recom mendations made to council The Cleric Administrator is a bit touchy about citizens thinking the bureaucrats run the Town He Insists his department after consulatlon with the others only recommend but council makes the decisions If we see something we feel needs changing we will make a recommendation but often as not our recommendations are rejccled by council Richardson emphasizes he simply imple ments the elected officials decisions It in the clerk department the reams of paper such as minutes of council and com mlttee meetings reports and copies of all correspondence to council as well as Com mlttee of Adjustment Site Plan Review and Land Division Committee are produced But its not all dull Licences are Issued from here this Includes strippers or adult entertainment as It more discreetly known as weU as raffles arcades pool halls and taxis We even check taxi meters on a regular basis says Ken He would like to see his department as the first contact wllh the people who would come to the Trafalgar Road building if they need help We II teU them where to go to get help that is he quickly adds If they want welfare if they have a noise or building problem come to us first and weU point them in the right direction after all we are the coordinators for the citizens Most bylaws are now prepared right in the clerk department with legal advice only when necessary All agreements and sub missions to the Ontario Municipal Board ministries government agencies are also done in house but if a hearing is called the lawyers get into the act Ken is also responsible for negotiations with the Town workers union CUPE after receiving guidelines from council he stresses Budgets too come under his scrutiny From preparation time when all departments submit their proposed spending to him right through to a monthly monitoring of spending compared to the budget figure If thats not enough for one man to do he wears another hat In this job council has no authority over him At election time he is the Returning Officer for the Town and must obtain poll clerks polling stations nominatlonsandvotetally Muchofthlsjobis handled by Deputy Clerk Delmar French says Ken Municipal employees are not noted for going out on a limb but Richardson is willing to state the amalgamation of Acton George town and Esqueslng has been beneficial to the taxpayers Without the larger tax base doubt I if Georgetown could have afforded the reconstruction or Street or Acton afford the improvements at Lakeview divisionor the Main StreetSouth repairs Asked if the six per cent guidelines should extend to municipal employees he said he wonders if Its fiar to cover only one sector of wage earners He stoutly defends the Towns financial position pointing out no new debenture debt has been incurred for years and stresses the Town portion of taxes has Increased much less than regions or the board of education Ken his wife Wendy also a Georgetown native tbe daughter of and Jack Saunders and three children live in where be settled when he was city coordinator for Brampton bef ore comingu HUift Twa Halloa Agricrews who have spestt Ik but we Heather McTkvtth harvest cam far mo be packing Dean Ingle MUts Me a the tie PeteWedhaau lefl Dave Dave they A 4000 boost Plans Tor a United Way campaign got a boost from the Region health and social services committee recently Acting on a committee recommendation council approved paying that grant to campaign who hope to have a region- wide drive In