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OPINION Catholic board concerns about centre misplaced The Halton Catholic School Board and its supporters need not worry that joining Halton Region, police and the public school board in operating out of one regional `supercentre' will threaten its autonomy. Catholic education, principles and faith are taught and celebrated primarily in the board's numerous schools and churches throughout the region and at home-- not at its administration centre. A shared facility would only boost the Roman Catholic education system as the costs saved by the venture could put more resources where they count the most-- in the classrooms. Some Catholic school board trustees have expressed concern that moving into a proposed joint campus might conflict with, and perhaps even erode, the board's identity, Catholicity and more. We can't envision a scenario where the act of sharing an administrative building would significantly compromise the Catholic board's ability to retain its identity. It's estimated the campus would cost approximately $127 million, but would result in an overall savings of more than $20 million compared to each organization pursuing separate projects. Fear of the partnership triggering the downfall of Catholic education doesn't make sense to us. However, supporting it could make a lot of `cents' for each of Halton's cashstrapped school boards. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Moving library is an `expensive risk' Dear editor, My thanks go to Jack Rumley for his reasoned and reasonable letter of March 3, regarding the folly of losing a library from the current location in central Georgetown. According to the library, 70 per cent of households make use of our two local libraries, which probably makes it the most used public institution around, more so than the post office, schools, hospitals and perhaps even hockey arenas. Has it not occurred to anyone that the reason that it may be so popular is just because of its location-- centralized, charming and part of a larger cultural centre? Moving it and turning our library into something Mississaugalike, all because of a consultant's report is, as Mr. Rumley pointed out, a huge and expensive risk for the Library Board and the Town of Halton Hills to take. It was only25 years ago or so that the vision to expand the original library space resulted in the wonderful centre that currently exists. While there are concerns from the library staff regarding lack of space for administration and storage, surely they can be addressed without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Whatever the problems are, they should not be resolved by taking the most simplistic solution of dumping an historic and centralized location and throwing millions of dollars into a building that, according to the Library Board's own consultant's report, will be inadequate as of 2023. Perhaps it is time to update that 25year-old vision with some innovative thinking. And what of library services for Acton? It is shameful that there is nary a word. Why should Georgetown get millions when everyone agrees the library in Acton needs attention? What are the community priorities here-- if not from the Library Board itself, then the Town? Surely our favourite public institutions should be serving all residents with a bit more equity. Kate Murray, Glen Williams Mayor is out of touch with taxpayers Dear editor, Reading the mayor's comments (Mar. 1 The Mayor's Message), the first thing that sprang to mind was he is out of touch with the actual taxpayer. First, the Progressive Conservative government is in power, not the Liberals. Second, has he ever tried to file an appeal with Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) as they do not get off their butts to assess the houses and when you appeal they do not come to your house at all. The easiest tax grab are assessments done from a Toronto office and to actually come and assess the houses would cost the taxpayer more, not less. Every house should be assessed by an actual walk-through, but that would take two years and they would start all over again. That's where the $4 million is going and assessments are done by Toronto firms. The local school situation is brutal as you drive by portable after portable as the town grew too fast and outpaced the revenue. Former mayor Russ Miller would never allow building in our watershed, and tax grabs were done at acceptable levels that never out paced 2-3 per cent as he understood money in the pockets of the people kept the economy flowing. We, the average taxpayers, do understand, Mr. Bonnette as my wallet is empty after every raise I receive because its in one hand and out the other. The builders should pay for the new fire station as we had no problem putting out fires before all the extra housing. Municipalities should be fighting the tax grab from Toronto for social programs with all their might as those programs benefit not one person in Halton. Can you explain how you are fighting the big city of Toronto instead of trying to justify the unacceptable tax grabs year after year? Jim Marshall, Georgetown