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2 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 19, 1989 Estimated 16.2 per cent increase too high Mayor, councillor want taxes trimmed Cut-backs in levels of ser- vice may be necessary if Dur- ham Region is to bring down a 1990 budget that holds the tax increase to about ten per cent, says Scugog Mayor Howard Hall. He made the comments last week after the Region's fi- nance committee tabled 1990 spending estimates which pro- ject a 16.2 per cent hike in the Regional tax rate. "That 16.2 per cent figure will have to be trimmed back, way back," said the Mayor, add- ing he would like to see the Re- gion bring down a budget that holds the tax hike to "under ten percent." But to accomplish that, he said there will have to be some large cuts between now and iid March When Durham council is expected to approve a final budget and strike the mill rate for 1990. Scugog Regional rep Yvonne Christie agreed that the projected 16.2 per cent tax hike is way too high. "Unquestionably, there must be some cuts," she told the Star. Councillor Christie said those cuts must be "across the board" in all departments and not just one or two. Both councillor Christie and Mayor Hall said levels of service will be affected in order to make the reductions in spending. "We can't have it both ways," said the Mayor, refer- ring to double digit tax hikes and current levels of service. In 1989, Durham Region shocked ratepayers with a 19 per cent tax hike, the highest ever since Durham was formed in 1974. The 1990 spending esti- mates which were tabled last week, predict a 16.2 per cent net tax impact. But the actual in- crease in spending is pegged at 22.2 per cent. The Region is pre- dicting a growth rate of six per cent, which reduces the project- ed tax hike to the 16.2 per cent levels. Regional chairman Gary Herrema also said the esti- mates are too high, and he wants the final budget to in- clude an actual tax hike of nine percentin 1990. The lengthy document ta- bled last week by the finance committee paints a gloomy fi- nancial picture for the Region over the next five years. Along with the 16.2 per cent hike in taxes in 1990, it suggests that taxes will be go- ing up substantially from 1991 to 1994. . It projects a 15 per cent net impact in 1991; 13.2 per cent in 1992; followed by hikes of 11.5 . and 13.9 per cent the next two years. In actual dollars, the docu- ment projects an increase in the net levy from $75 million in 1990 to $148 million in 1994. For the average home which would pay $330 in Re- gional taxes in 1990, that num- ber would jump to $608 in five years, if there are no cuts, ac- cording to the document. Mayor Hall told the Star that over the last several years, the spending has not kept pace | C'Mon Geese ... the video story of how, Scugog Artist, Bill Lishman : learned to fly with a flock of Canada geese. * Tapes available in Port Perry at Ingredients Unlimited, the Port Perry Star, Cine-Max; in Blackstock at Paula Lishman Limited; and in Oshawa at Robert Aldsworth Photoworld. 7a git C'Mon Geesel $29.95 SELECTIONS MEN'S WEAR 241 Queen St. Port Perry 985-8977 WE MAKE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING a PLEASURE looky in luon! weaters make the perfect gift! TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND FRIENDS, WE WISH A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR! TT ---- with the growth, especially for things like road up-grading, sewer and water projects. He cited the water plant for Ajax-Pickering as an example. The cost is pegged at $40 mil- lion. Durham's on-going issue of a new headquarters is also a "big-ticket" item. The report es- timates it will cost $50 million w pay for a two headquarters concept: one building in Oshawa, the other in Whitby. Mayor Hall agreed that Durham and other levels of gov- ernment can't continue to heap more and more costs on the homeowners. "There has to be some other way (to finance these projects) without hitting the tax-payers," he said. Meanwhile, councillor Christie, who is chairman of fi- nance for Township council, said her committee is just in the preliminary stages of preparing a local budget for 1990. She said at this point there i8 no estimate of what the in- crease (locally) might be, but - added she has instructed the de- partments to bring in a lean budget for the coming year. Councillor Christie said she is aiming at March 1 to ap- prove the 1990 local budget and mill rate. For ratepayers throughout Durham Region, the: Regional portion of their tax bill accounts for about 20 per cent of the total. Local (Township) takes about 24 per cent of the total and the remainder is used by the Boards of Education. While commenting last week, that Regional council will have to take a broad axe to esti- mates to avoid a 16.2 tax hike, Mayor Hall said there are some Durham-funded projects in Scugog that he wants to see completed in 1990. He mentioned the re- paving of Durham Road 57, east of Caesarea, and studies on the sewer treatment facility in Port Perry. SPECIALIZING IN LADIES' ~ AFFORDABLE FASHIONS EXTENDED HOURS: Mon. to Fri. 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM; Sat. 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The House SIR JOHN A. MacDONALD visited frequently. : Built in 1827 Fog ov J * 1294 KINGSTON R BG LC LL LL CLL i 4 # * BIRD FEEDERS * BIRD SEED *. 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