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THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS 50 cents (+GST) Friday, January 11, 2008 52 Pages www.independentfreepress.com Recipe of the week: Bran muffins Page 21 Wheels & Car Care special section 8-Pages Bulldogs hand out year-end hardware Page 18 Historic farmhouse gets reprieve Page 12 Editorial 6 Ted Brown 7 Sports 18, 19 Calendar 21, 26 Classifieds 22-25 INSIDE Its been one of the tougher winters for Canada Post mail carri- ers. Find out why in Wednesdays Indepen- dent & Free Press. WEDNESDAY... A significant loss in Town revenues could mean a close to 10 per cent tax hike for Halton Hills taxpayers in 2008. Town Treasurer and Director of Finance Ed DeSousa outlined the financial challenges fac- ing the Town leaders as the 2008 operating budget process opened with a budget workshop at the Civic Centre Tuesday night. While its only at the starting point, and the number crunching will come on Monday and Tuesday night, Halton Hills taxpayers could be facing a 9.3 per cent (or $91) tax increase on the Town portion of the tax bill for homes assessed at $300,000. The $25-million budget includes a 6.1 per cent base budget increase, a 2 per cent levy for the pavement management program and 1.2 per cent levy for the fire ser- vices budget. Last year the Town tax increase was 5.4 per cent (which also included the pavement man- agement and fire services levy) and 4.7 per cent in 2006. Combined with Region and education taxes, the overall tax increase will be 3.5 per cent, an increase of $108, for a home assessed at $300,000. Thats $36 for every $100,000 of assessed value of a property owners home. Budget committee (all members of council) heard that Town taxes could total $1,071, Region taxes $1,319 (1.3 per cent increase) and Education taxes $792, a confirmed no increase for 2008. Thats a total $3,182 for municipal and education taxes. Those figures are prelimi- nary until budget committee (all members of Town council) finalize the operating budget next week and is approved by the Halton Hills council the following week. The numbers could change between now and then, said DeSousa. The Town tax portion of the overall tax bill is 34 per cent compared to the Regions 41 per cent and the school boards 25 per cent. Unlike previous years, DeSousa did not specifically state the 9.3 per cent figure when discussing the Town tax increase in either his public summary of the budget to budget com- mittee, or in the staff recommendation in his written report, but instead focused on the over- all tax percentage figure. We tried to present it as a total tax bill because when residents get their tax bill, theyre not getting a Town tax bill, theyre getting a total tax bill (Town, Region and education combined). So its the bottom line, said DeSousa after the meeting. Eighty-six per cent of the operating budgets $2 million increase is attributed to: GEORGETOWN VOTED #1 FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 2007 KIA SPECTRA FINANCE0% CALL THE GEORGETOWN HEADQUARTERS 1-866-364-0697 or 905-877-7818(905) 873-1655 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown APPLE Auto Glass Truck Accessories Upholstery Heavy Equipment Glass Window Tinting GEORGETOWN CHRYSLER We handle all insurance work. Vaughan 57 Northview 905 264 5564 Toronto 522 King St.W 416 203 7001Acton 49 Eastern Av 519 853 1031 msr SAVE UP TO ON ALL L EATHER , SHEARL ING AND WOOL FASH IONS PLUS FURN I TURE , HOME ACCENTS & SELECTED F LOOR MODELS For breaking news go to: www.independentfreepress.com Halton Hills award-winning newspaper Halton Hills Fire Protection and Prevention Services fire safety spe- cialists Pat Woods (left) and Dave Ford check out the chimney of a fireplace as part of their ongoing fire safety awareness program. With decorations still adorning houses at this time of the year, there is added risk of fire, especial- ly around the open flame of a fire- place, as well as the increased risk of chimney fires caused by build-up from burning the wrong type of wood in the fireplace. Photo by Ted Brown Keep your chimneys clear Homeowners facing hefty Town tax hike CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer See LOSS, pg. 3