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Modest 567 increase for Acton but Esquesings rate up 811 mills AffB AAA The former township of was smacked with one of the biggest tax Increases In Its history as Helton Hills council unveiled the first budget for the new town Thursday night Rural ratepayers face a still Increase while Georgetown escaped relatively unscathed with an increase than a mill Acton emerged with a mill hike Councillors figure the average ratepayer will be forking over anywhere from to more per depending on assessment while Acton taxpayers average about per year more The Georgetown increase will be nominal The Increase could have been more but council one mill of the startup grant from the Province to reduce the general levy by approximately one milt 67000 across the board The remainder was applied to the working fund Councillors Len Coxe and from Ward 2 the former township of felt the entire should have gone to reduce the levy for rural ratepayers since most of the surplus left over from lost year was to go to the new Georgetown arena along with the Georgetown surplus Predicting that next years tax increase rather than this years would show the true figures with less provincial assistance Councillor said he was thoroughly disgusted and disillusioned by budget Hills tne increase for which means in our area well wind up paying for things we dont want or those we dont get We are baled out this year by transitional grants said but what don face this year well have to face the next Colleague Dick was equally vehemnct It is easy for Wards 3 and Georgetown to gliby say throw the startup grants into the reserves working fund while Ward Esquestng is looking at nine mills The people there never saw any more than two mills at one time Nine mills Is a heck of a jolt to these people I preferred all of surplus to go back to Esqueing and all of Georgetowns to Georgetown but the majority see different Howltt said Acton had a deficit in 1973 Ward two taxpayers in Norval Glen Williams and must also pay two mills to street lighting Hills must raise in taxes from an assessment of but only Is controlled by the town Levies from the region of secondary school purposes of 1 and for public schools as well as for separate schools are completely in the hands of the regional council and board of education The final two tax instalments are due and payable on the 16th day of September and the 21st of October Penalty for nonpayment is one per cent of the amount due on the first day of default and an additional penalty of one per cent of the j amount due is added on the first day of each month j until taxes are paid i Two interim tax levies by the town accounted for a levy reduction of mills Finance chairman McKenzfe paid tribute to town auditor Graeme Goebelle acting treasurer Grant Usher and Henry of the treasury department for their work on the towns first budget He noted the budget had been prepared so it did not reflect in any way the in start up costs provided by the Province i Hills had asked for in startup costs and the money could be used to reduce the mill rate In audltorGoebelles opinion councildeserved a pat on the back for having in the reserve working fund but he refused to be drawn into the Continued on page One Hundredth Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1974 Twenty Six Page Fifteen Cents Residents want answers Town water off 5 hours Peter photo WILL LOOK INTO the crystal ball and tell you of your future and little Shirley Van was the Tuesday fortune teller at the Klngham Hill carnival which drew a number of children and adults to enjoy festivities Mare than 76 percont of the l0W for which did occur on Church St near the corner of Maria Town exception of the Slock end Sub J from authorities from the Region which now controls water services that It won happen again The Interruption the Free Press has learned resulted from more than just the normal break Church St resident about and Immediately took measures to abut the water off on Church between Frederick St and the Force Electric plant so that the break could be repaired However for reasons not yet determined water was cut off to the entire town with the over town The break took only hours to repair but water service was not restored until 10 30 as workmen tried to figure out why most of the town had been off when only the valve for a small portion of Church St had been closed A similar two hour water service interruption occurred two weeks ago pipes were being connected from Churchill north Into the newly constructed phase of the Acton Meradows subdivision That Interruption affected both the Building Products Porter plants causing serious concern about to boilers the Porter plant II Is known that engineers from the Region unfamiliar system that ehutoff Adding to the frustration was that with most of the equipment needed to repair the break now housed In Georgetown since the introduction of regional government town workmen needed an hour more than it usually takes to do the work Only piece of equipment available in the Acton yard was a clamp A of gravel arid other necessary hed to be picked up In Georgetown by workmen who drove down there from Acton It Is also now compulsory for workmen to notify both tne telephone and gas com panics first before begin to dig to repair a break Police lay drug charge An out of town man has been charged with possession of marijuana after he was found lying on the shoulder of Queen near the Becker Milk store at a day morning by Acton O P He will appear In court Sep tember to face the charge Police also charged another out of town man with wilful damage and possession of an offensive weapon after they were called to the Station Ho tel at 110 am Saturday morning The man had caus ed considerable damage to the door of the hotel with a tire iron He will appear In court September A charge of theft under was also laid against a third out of town man following a week long police Investiga Hon into In the till at a local shoe store The suspect was working at the store He will appear in court September 11 Police also charged two persons with common drunk after they were picked up on town streets made three liquor seizures charged one Impaired driver and two minors for drinking under age Strike fizzles The Ontario Hauler Association strike has ap parently fluted out The Haulers hod not been recugniied by the Aggregate Producers because the strike was Illegal The Haulers had been trying to set prices The organization ptcketted the quarries in this area No 7 Heritage Hwy Claude Bennett Ontario Minister of Industry and Tourism thinks If Highway becomes a Heritage Highway it will bring more tourists to Halton Hills He expressed this view when he met with Hills Mayor Tom Hill WPP and Minister of Governmental Services Jim Snow and Walter Gowfng of the Niagara Escarpment Commission last Friday at the Georgetown Market Centre are presently reviewing the Highway situation I think it would be good because it would take tourists off the and give them a chance to see the Ontario countrjsldc Bennett said Bennett was in Georgetown as part of a lour of Ontario in which he is visiting various Industries and talking with municipal officials They had an in formal discussion In Ben nett touring trailer The Minister pointed out that is already Heritage Highway and that they have found that once roads are so designated that It s where the tourists go Tourists make fine use of these roads once get brochures and our special map productions into their hands Bennett added He asked the mayor if he has been contacted by the Ontario Tourism and Travel Association No but they might have gone to the Region Hill answered Bennett explained that the Association was expected to create n greater spirit of co operation among different areas and greater unity I think this will mean that various regions will no longer be worried about just their own small area ana will now work together for the bet Continued on Page Town streets quieter following crackdown Hot rodders and tire squealers beware Six months of driving privileges and have already been lost by drivers who chose to ignore the recent crackdown by Acton and accordion to Cpl Bob Arbour at least more persons charged are scheduled to appear In court during August and Sep tember As a result of our In creased patrol the streets have definitely been at night Arbour said this week Recently one person charged was convicted of careless driving fined and bad his license suspended for six months Another local was fined ISO for making unnecessary noise Arbour emphasizes that the new practice of having offenders appear in court rather than simply paying fines out of court will continue The community centre parking lot and the parking lot at Becker In the east end of town are well known turnaround points for some hot rodders who have often used town streets la between ilk drag strips Halton Hills tax tale Reildtntlal and Farm Acton Georgetown Region General Secondary Schools Elementary Schooli 49 23 92 333 2U0 17 32 1179 72 2469 Commercial and Acton Faustina Georgetown 1 Region General Secondary Schools Elementary Schools 23 20 06 3 92 2460 7811 34 80 1636 79 7 14 96 20 TOTAL MILL RATES Special Lighting Only Resident iat and Farm Glen Williams Stewart town Esqutting Basic Area Roto Ares Total 68 70 96 75 69 36 Commercial and But nets Glen Williams Stewart town EtquMing Basic Area Rate Area Total 240 78 11 78 89 78 11 82 False alarms Acton firefighters were called out on two false alarms this week A car accident with two vehicles in flames was reported on Highway The second one reported was a house and barn fire in Ward Both false reports seem to have been made with malicious intent Hornet plows through fence and front door Mr and Mrs Percy knock they ever bad at their Main St N had m un- frontdoor expected and unwelcome Mrs Woods rushed to the visitor last Wednesday at front to see what had p when a yellow Hornet and was disturbed to Sowed through their packet see the ear had no driver She nee and knocked is their thought perhaps the driver aluminum front door before had men Injured and was coming to a stop lying out of sight in the car You may have by Fortunately no one was in- now the Hornet was at driver- lets model par- Neighbors said the car formed a pirouette owned by Jean Parker Tide being struck by a track asset Ave bad parked on the plowed into the Woods home School Lane alongside Mrs fry rf hap their store the car moved out note falOCk the vehicle made the leaded the highway where turned aimlessly before being clipped by a northbound truck driven by David Eaves of Rockwood The car left the road and banged through the fence into of Mr and Mrs Woods i Police estimated damage to the ear and the house I and fence There was i damage to the and Mrs Woods said KROES MODELS the latest fashions they were thankful no one which were used in the dressing relay race at the was inured and fiej jay penny carnival at Prospect Park 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