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www.independentfreepress.com Ted Brown............... 7 Sports .................... 20 Calendar .......22, 27 Directory ...... 27, 28 Classifieds ... 30, 31 50 Cents (+ GST) Circulation: 22,800 SCOREBOARD Look inside for the latest results from the rinks 8-PAGE SECTION RICH BRIDE, POOR BRIDE Acton woman and spouse to be featured on reality show PAGE 11 64 Pages Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper Funding for hospital expansion on hold Large audience hears mayor will now lobby health ministry for cash By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Believing Halton Hills can make a special case for some provincial funding, Town council deferred a decision on Halton Healthcare Services's (HHS) request for $4.546 million to help fund a $12.1 million renovation/expansion of the Georgetown Hospital at Monday's meeting. Mayor Rick Bonnette urged the deferral, unanimously approved by all members of council (Councillor Bryan Lewis was absent), saying, "It is a difficult decision for council because it is out of our mandate but we all understand and appreciate the importance of a CT scanner. But I do believe the Province has a role in this. ...It's incumbent on us to get the dialogue going with the Ministry." He assured the close to 200 residents and hospital officials crammed into the public gallery, hallways and overflow meeting room at the Civic Centre that "the deferral is not forever, people. The deferral is until I can get something substantial from the Ministry (of Health)." Bonnette had been busy making calls over the last week setting up meetings with Ministry staff. His "special case" arto Grow plan that will mean the Town's population will also grow by 20,000. The mayor suggested council's decision meeting on the funding request will be held in two to four weeks. HHS needs an answer before its March hospital board meeting in order to get things moving in time for the 2012 construction season. Usually Ministry dollars pay for 90 per cent of the cost of hospital construction projects, but HHS came to the Town for a financial contribution to the project after lobbying the Ministry for years for approval. When told that they are in the same boat as more than 80 other hospitals in the province looking for money, they began to look at different ways to fund the project. HHS CEO John Oliver said this project is one of HHS's top priorities and cannot wait another seven to eight years, with no guarantee, for provincial funding approval. It was time to look at alternate funding, he said. The costs would be divided like this: · A $4.546 million contribution from the Town-- a dedicated special levy on property taxpayers. Two possible scenarios: a 10-year loan at 1.9 % interest rate-- $6.73/$100,000 asessment (or $23.56 a year for 10 years for the average home assessed at $350,000). Or it can be done over a 15-year loan at 1.4% interest for a $4.96/$100,000 of assessment. However, Town Treasurer Ed DeSousa noted that while the 15-year loan would have have less immediate impact, residents would be paying more in the long run. See COMMUNITY, pg. 3 THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS THURSDAY, January 27, 2011 More than 200 people crammed the Civic Centre Monday night to hear the Town will now lobby the Province directly for funding for the Georgetown Hospital expansion project. Photo by Cynthia Gamble gument includes an exploding Brampton obvious they are going to put a lot more population with plans to place 100,000 stress on Georgetown hospital, he said. people on Halton Hills's border, and it's As well, the Province enforced the Places Proposed Project Cost Funding Georgetown Hospital Foundation Capital Campaign Georgetown Hospital Volunteer Association Halton Healthcare Services revenue & capital Town of Halton Hills TOTAL $5 Million $250,000 $2.4 Million $4.546 Million $12.196 Million 7e HANDLE ALL INSURANCE work. Georgetown Volkswagen 203 Guelph Street 9 0 5 . 8 7 7. 5 2 8 5 georgetownvw.com Thinking of buying or selling? sTruck Accessories s5PHOLSTEry s(Eavy %QUIPMENT 'LASS s7INDow 4INTING 354 Guelph Street, Georgetown (905) 873-1655 0.9% Financing up to 24 mo. & 2 year / 40,000 km warranty. Great selection & great value. Dir: 416-991-4247 EFFIEatDIMOU 905-456-1000 at Sales Representative www.georgetownrealty.ca edimou@georgetownrealty.ca at Call Effie Dimou for all your real atneeds. at 905-456-1000 905-456-10 905-456-1 at estate 905-456-1000 Realty Services Inc. Brokerage Independently Owned & Operated SO LD