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S. 905-873-3103 GUELPH * ORANGEVILLE * GEORGETOWN * CAMBRIDGE * ELMIRA * ACTON w w w . e ra m o s a ph ys io .c om w w w .e ra m o s aphysio.com Our services include: Manual Therapy Techniques, Individual treatment programs, Fully equipped therapeutic gym, Acupuncture, Ultrasound/TENS and Registered Massage Therapy. Excellence in Orthopaedic Physiotherapy for: Spinal, Shoulder and Knee pain Post-operative Rehabilitation Sports Injuries Arthritis and Degenerative Diseases Motor Vehicle Accident and Work Related Injuries Womens Health - Post Breast Cancer, Osteoporosis NO PHYSICIAN REFERRAL REQUIRED Holy Cro w! Moms 5-0! Love & Best Wishes From Your Darling Daughters Caitlin & Meghan 4 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, January 16, 2008 One of those difficulties faced by budget committee and staff was the last-minute decision by Halton Region to split the GTA pooling dollars on a 50/50 basis. Previously, Halton residents have been levied taxes to pay for Torontos social services needs. Last year the provincial government told Halton the pooling payments will be grad- ually eliminated by 2013, on the condition the money not paid go towards infrastructure improve- ments, said Perlin. Last year, Halton Region which collected the taxes from residents, handed Halton Hills a cheque for $614,000, which the Town put towards the new fire stations. But this year, Halton Region decided it would only levy half of the dollars, and the municipalities would be required to raise the other half. While that meant Halton Region could lower their tax increase to 1.3 per cent, it forces the Town to collect the money and consequent- ly raise its taxes on the Town por- tion of the bill. Since the same amount is being collected (from two municipal gov- ernments instead of one), the over- all impact on the whole tax bill remains unchanged. Amounts raised regionally will be used by the Region and amounts raised locally will be used locally. Starting this year and continu- ing to the final phase-out of the pooling costs in 2013, the Town of Halton Hills will begin collecting the Special Infrastructure Levy. In 2008, it will be 2.7 per cent (or $614,000), and in the following years, it will be 1.3 per cent ($290,000). By 2013, $2 million will be built into the base budget to be directed annually towards infra- structure. The program is similar to the pavement management pro- gram (PMP), which is in the last year of its five-year 2 per cent levy. Each year, $1.6 million in the bud- get is now directed specifically to repairing Town roads. The Town will direct the initial dollars from the Special Infrastruc- ture Levy to the construction for the two fire stations, then towards construction/expansion of the new Georgetown library. Like the PMP, taxpayers will see each year in the budget what those dollars are being spent on. Residents should also be pre- pared to budget for similar tax hikes in future years. Based on ten- tative numbers, hikes of at least 7.5 per cent ($80-$86) are already pre- dicted for 2009 and 2010. Treasurer Ed DeSousa said in his budget briefing, assessment growth, one of the Towns biggest revenue generators, is predicted to grow at only 1 per cent in 2010 and beyond. Assessment growth since 2003 has been set at 3 per cent or higher. This year it was only 2.1 and until water and waste- water servicing constraints and growth decisions are settled, growth will continue to decline, and with it the money that refills Town coffers. The final 2008 budget numbers will be approved at Halton Hills council on Monday, Jan. 21. The $25 million budget will change only slightly as staff was directed to come that night with sugges- tions on how to add $25,000 into the budget to accommodate staffing increases at the two Halton Hills Seniors Centres. The extra staff hours will be added into the budget all members of commit- tee agreed to that but the only question is how. Some council members suggested membership fee increases, cutting the budget or a one-time reserve withdrawal. In an uncharacteristically quick fashion (two and half hours as opposed to the usual several days), budget committee sped through its examination of the budget book in a public meeting Monday night. Bonnette announced at the beginning of the meeting, that, There is very little wiggle room. However the committee did find room to wiggle in $30,700 worth of programs: $1,000 to hire a consultant to prepare tax assess- ments on historical homes, $1,100 for historical plaques, $6,500 for ongoing maintenance of the Market St. house used by Halton Hills Public Library and $22,100 to maintain Sunday hours with part- time staff at the Halton Hills Library. The extras made little impact on the numbers from the start of the meeting. Changes were approved to the ActiVan services, allowing users to purchase taxi scrips for their trips instead of booking and waiting for the ActiVan bus. The $20,000 cost to the Town will come from a Transportation Reserve and be eventually paid back from gas tax revenues. There will be no tax impact on the budget. Committee also approved growth- related programs and staff additions totaling $380,300, which had been already incorporated into the 6.1 per cent base budget increase. Inclusion of funds for the Towns new Green Plan was deferred until a report on actual costs is presented to council later this year. The Halton District School Board will be holding upcoming information nights for its Immersion and Extended French programs for students beginning in Grade 1 (Early) and Grade 7 (Extended). In these bilingual programs, ele- mentary school students attend one of Haltons French centres where they receive half of their instruction in English and the other half in French. This provides students with the opportunity to achieve a working command of French and to acquire the personal growth, knowledge and skills expected in the regular program at the same time. The Halton District School Board is currently preparing for September 2008 and information sessions have been planned at the Boards French Immersion centres. Registration forms for the Immersion French program are available at any school in the Halton District School Board, including the French Centres at the schools listed below. Applications should be returned to the students home school by no later than January 21. All informa- tion evenings begin at 7 p.m., and will be held at the following French Immersion Centres: Thursday, January 17 George Kennedy Public School, 75 Weber Dr., Georgetown Robert Little Public School, 41 School Lane, Acton (For Late Immersion Program entry point: Grade 7) Parents with questions about the Halton District School Boards Immersion French program, or registration information, should contact Marcelle Faulds at the Halton District School Board 905- 335-3663, 905-842-3014, 905-878- 8451. Halton board to hold information nights for French students Huge Town tax hike may be first of many to come Continued from pg. 1 There is very little wiggle room. MAYOR RICK BONNETTE