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TOP COP New Halton Police chief Stephen Tanner to be sworn in Tuesday PAGE 5 SOONER THAN LATER Tyler Renton taking his javelin and heading to University of Oklahoma PAGE 20 www.theIFP.ca Thursday, August 30, 2012 Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper serving Acton & Georgetown 48 Pages 50 Cents (+HST) Council `happy' with proposed 5.9% tax hike By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Councillor Jane Fogal says if Town staff can come back to the 2013 budget table with the directed 5.9 per cent Town budget increase, council will likely be happy. "This report sets the direction, and to a large extent the final outcome, of the budget deliberations. If passed tonight it indicates to staff that if they can meet this target then we're going to be pretty happy with what they present to us in November and January," said Fogal, before council did approve the budget directions to staff at Monday night's meeting. "The 5.9 per cent proposal is actually a lot better than what I've seen in other years when we have seen it at 7.2 per cent and staff have brought it back down," said Mayor Rick Bonnette. "They may still come down again (in Nov. and Jan.) but then again, there is also the wishlist (what councillors or department heads may want) that can increase the budget." The Town's 5.9 per cent hike (a $22 increase per $100,000 of a home's assessment), combined with a proposed Region increase of 2.7 per cent ($10) and a possible zero education increase, means an overall impact on local homeowners' tax bills of 3.3 per cent or $32 (per $100,000 of assessment). A decrease or increase of 1 per cent would equate to about $330,000, Treasurer Ed DeSousa told councillors during his presentation of the preliminary budget. See LEVIES, pg. 3 Outstanding in her field Eighteen-year-old Kailey Donaldson of Acton and father Doug took part in last Friday's Halton Plowing Match & Conservation Tillage Competition on the Rowntree property on REFINANCING? PURCHASING? Ninth Line, south of 10 Sideroard. The event was held at the same location as the 1974 International Plowing Match, which drew thousands of people. Photo by Eamonn Maher Eng. Lock & Fold Handscraped Hickory 12.3 mm Laminate Berber carpet installed w/pad - From 2.65% SPECIAL VARIABLE RATES $2.99/sf - From $1.15/sf - From $1.89/sf "Because Your Home is Your Palace" AREA RUGS BOB WOODS, Broker FSCO #10259 Division of 1490845 Ont. Ltd. www.carpetpalace.ca 30 - 60% off · Vinyl · Ceramic · Hardwood · Laminate · Engineered · Cork · Bamboo · Carpet· Area Rugs · Much More (905) 877-1490 360 Guelph St., Georgetown (3 Adamson Street) at the corner of Winston Churchill & Hwy 7, Norval 905-873-7955