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BEST AVAILABLE COPY SK Vanessa Bell- Smith takes over at Open Door Page In Business For Business GSS OFFICE SUPPLIES Georgetown Secretarial Services ST GEORGETOWN Main St N ACTON Ontario L7J1W3 l the Home Newspaper of FREE DISTRIBUTION WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1989 PAGES Halton rolls back 11 per cent tax hike By DONNA KELL Herald Region will keep tax in creases below per cent in Regional councillors decided Wednesday Councillors rejected a finance staff proposal to raise the tax- supported budget by per cent A 985percent increase will mean the average Halton resident will pay a year for Regional services and water and sewer ser vice Thats an increase over last years average of Taxes paid to the Region will be an average and water and sewer costs will be an average in 1990 said Regional budget and finance director David The combined average increase for Regional rates and water and sewer rates is per cent Water and sewer rates will increase 57 per cent in 1990 The increase in 1989 was 25 per cent To meet councils reduction in the proposed Regional tax Haltons finance staff must cut the expected budget for by Mr Birkett said increases meant to retain existing levels of service will be sliced A revised 1990 budget will go before Regional council in November Coun Kevin Flynn said the Region promotes growth but cant afford it Everybody likes growth he said but the Region knows full well there is not enough funding to study its own needs But Regional finance commis sioner Joe Rinaldo maintains the taxes are low in has been enjoying tax increases below the rate of infla tion since he said The average tax increase in the last eight years six per cent The Regional tax budget increas ed by per cent last year In 1988 the tax went up 22 per cent and in residents faced an in crease of 52 per cent Halton Regional Police which is fully funded by the Region is ask ing for an additional 250000 next year to cover costs of a new On tario legislation Bill 187 a police courtroom security act leaves responsibility for policing cour trooms in the hands of local of ficers The police department is now reviewing how to implement the new task But these and other costs could be reduced when Regional financial staff review the budget to cut almost million in funds Halton police begin twomonth crackdown on speeding motorists Come to momma This pigeon wasnt about to fly be coupe It was perfectly willing Instead to entertain the lucky people of Georgetown during Kellys Ring Circus In back of Georgetowns Atcott arena last Thursday evening Like a welltrained dog this would come when beckoned And it was just one of the spectacular acts that incloded elephants trapeze artists clowns and magicians under the big top Herald photo by Ben Durametl By BEN Herald Staff Regional Police have begun cracking down on motorists speeding not wearing seat belts or driving impaired Sergeant Ken Bonham of the forces regional traffic bureau said The force will be concentrating their efforts in pulling over speeding motorists in the next two months Speeding is identified as a major reason behind the 116per cent increase in fatalities in Halton Region this year from January to July over last year during the same period he said Traffic fatalities jumped from six last year at this time to 13 this year Sgt Bonham heads up the newly formed Rural Region Traffic Force which over the next two months will be concentrating on the roads north of Highway 5 in the 80 kilometres per hour speed zones in an attempt to reduce the number of personal injury ac cidents There will be no breaks Strict enforcement will apply he said Sgt explained 846 per cent of this years speeding related fatalities occurred north of Highway 5 and per cent of them happened in the 80 kilometre per hour speed zone The crack down will last two months after which Sgt Bonham will analyze the data to see if there is a reduction in the Dumber of per sonal injury accidents during the each pf Haltons four police districts and officers from the Regional traffic bureau he said But Sgt Bonham says the pro grams success depends on the publics cooperation People have to start wearing their seat belts he said Five peo- pie have been thrown from their vehicles so far this year He added drivers must also keep their car in good working order Many injuries could be avoided if people regular ly check the condition of their car brakes he said Halton police isnt the only force asking people to drive with safety in mind The Ontario Provincial Police has already Investigated over 500 trafficrelated deaths a seven per cent increase over last year During last years Labour Day weekend alone there were 19 peo ple killed a jump from 11 deaths on the same weekend in police say Ontario Provincial Police of ficers have been instructed to use everything at their disposal in cluding radar and radar detectors as well as RIDE program in itiatives to stop speeding motorists OPP Commissioner Tom recently said The will auto be on the lookout for seat belt violations Of the fatal accidents investigated by the tins year more than one- have been