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Thursday, January 17, 2013 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown (www.theifp.ca) 56 Pages 50 Cents (+HST) 12 PAGES From Detroit: What auto manufacturers have planned for 2013 WHEELS.CA Bill and Pam MacGillivray named Hockey Heritage Award winners HOCKEY HONOREES PAGE 16 "Because Your Home is Your Palace" (3 Adamson Street) at the corner of Winston Churchill & Hwy 7, Norval 905-873-7955 www.carpetpalace.ca NO TAX Hundreds of AREA RUGS to choose from REFINANCING? PURCHASING? BOB WOODS, Broker (905) 877-1490 360 Guelph St., Georgetown 10 YEAR FIXED BOB WOODS, Broker 10 YEAR FIXED 3.89% FSCO #10259 Division of 1490845 Ont. Ltd. New-look library set to open The $13.2 million Georgetown library/Cultural Centre now boasts 34,400 sq. ft. of renovated and expanded space. While the offi cial opening, with planned activities and special guest is set for Saturday, Jan. 26, Halton Hills Director of Library Services, Jane Diamanti took a moment to relax Wednesday with a friend as library staff pre- pared to open the doors to the public tomorrow (Friday). (Inset) Diamanti overlooks the new entrance with its impressive window. Photos by Ted Brown Town budget hiked 5.9% Local taxes will be going up $22 per $100,000 of residential assessment after the Town's budget committee approved the 2013 operating budget Monday night. The committee-- all members of council-- unanimously supported the slightly more than $35 milllion budget, which represents a 5.9% increase. Combined with Region (0.8%) and educa- tion (0%) taxes, the overall impact on taxpay- ers' wallets is a 2.6% increase or $25/$100,000 of residential assessment. "It's never easy but we've stayed on course.... Everyone has their wish lists but we've kept it at 5.9%," said Mayor Rick Bonnette, chair of the budget committee, who earlier sent a memo to councillors telling them if they want- ed to add something to the budget they had to fi nd a similar item in the budget to cut. The Town's budget is comprised of a 2.9% base budget increase to maintain existing ser- vice levels, plus four dedicated levies: 1.2% Fire Levy; 0.9% Special Infrastructure Levy; 0.7% Library Operating Levy and 0.2% Arena Levy. This is the last year for the Special Infra- structure Levy and the Library Operating Levy (used to phase in the tax impact of opening two new libraries). The Arena Levy, created to raise funds for fi nancing of three ice pads, begins this year By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Homeowners to see tax increase See TOWN, pg. 8