Volume 72, Number 8 GST Included $1.00 Wednesday February 25, 2009 Orono Town Hall Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Mayor's task force nixed The Mayor's Task Force on attracting facilities of higher education to Clarington was nixed before it even got started. Clarington Councillors objected to the recommendation from the Planning Department that a Mayor's Task Force be formed to explore opportunities to attract a satellite campus of a higher education facility to Clarington. To have this focused around the Mayor, rather than Council is wrong, according to Councillor Trim. "The government of today consists of seven of us," Trim stated at Monday's committee meeting. "We are on the hook on the financial end, but don't have any say on the front end." Establishing a Mayor's Task Force was the recommendation made by Clarington's Director of Planning, David Crome. In January, Council directed him to respond to a request from the Clarington Board of Trade suggesting that a committee be established to explore opportunities to attract a satellite campus to Clarington. A task force best meets this objective as it has a time limited objective, according to Crome "It would likely be best to recruit individuals [to sit on the Task Force] rather than having people apply in response to an advertisement," Crome stated in a recently released report. He TASK see page 5 Revellers Kiki Kays (L) and Christine Foley (R) at the Mardi Gras Party held at the Newcastle Community Centre on Saturday night, a fundraising event for A Gift of Art. Region passes 2.2% tax increase Durham Regional council passed their 2009 budget on Wednesday with a 2.2 percent increase. This year's budget was a real balancing act between maintaining services and recognizing the current economic reality and taxpayer affordability, according to Finance Committee Chair, Scugog Mayor Marilyn Pierce. "The 2009 budget has been designed to absorb some financial pressures that could happen this year, and to accommodate some of the challenges we are facing," Pearce said in her budget speech to Regional Councillors at their meeting last Wednesday. An increase in the Health and Social Services budget was made this year in anticipation of an increased case load for Ontario Works and disability benefits. Buffers were put in place through this year's budget to provide a cushion for the Region's fleet of buses, police, emergency and service vehicles, should there be a return to higher fuel costs. A new winter storm fund was created in the 2009 budget with an amount of $1.2 million allocated for winter control and road maintenance. In her address to council, Pearce outlined the highlights of the 2009 budget, which include, Twenty-six new police officers and five civilian support staff in the police budget. Twelve new paramedics and two shift managers will be hired to enhance emergency medical services in Uxbridge, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington and Pickering. There will be 15 new staff hired in the Region's long term care facilities. A road rehabilitation and construction budget of $53 million will address a number of road concerns, including Taunton Road in the Oshawa/Clarington section, and a major bridge project in Courtice, according to Pearce. The 2009 budget allows for 13 new buses and enhanced transit service for selected routes for the Durham Region Transit system. There were no questions BUDGET see page 4 What's Inside see pg. 9
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