The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Ce FUE hw nes gl 5 & Ee a Volume 135 Number 13 Councillors - whittle away at budget By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Scugog finance committee chair Marilyn Pearce has TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2001 ordered all of the township's committees to slash their - : budgets in an effort to keep costs down. During a finance committee meeting yesterday morning, members heard presentations from the works, parks and recreation, and fire committees, and got a preliminary look at the general governance budget. As the presentations drew to a close, it became clear that cuts will have to be made to avoid huge tax hikes. "At the start of the day, figures showed a tax increase: of more than 7 per cent would be necessary fo accommo-. ~ date department budgets. > 4 Committees were instructed to cut Eudaots. B.5iper > "cent, in'an'effort to keep take hikes to abouts per cent. Councillor Pearce warned politicians and department heads that it already looks like there'll be a 15 per cent tax hike at the regional level, and that the province is changing assessment methods for 2001. And the province also has yet to announce its educa- tion budget, which will affect the tax picture for home- owners in Scugog, she added. In asking the committees to take another look at their budgets, Councillor Pearce suggested they either cut expenditures, or find ways to increase revenues. According to early township numbers, Scugog would be looking at hiking taxes 7.2 per cent. That would include paying down a $20,000 deficit from the 2000 budget. It is assumed by committee members that the capital budget will $fay the same as last year. To keep the tax increase at 5 per cent, committee heads will have to cut almost $114,000 from the current budget figures. Please turn to page 14 Developers submit plan for new plaza south of Port Perry COPY 75¢ 24 Pages (70¢ + 5¢ GST) HEATHER ccna romTs PERRY STAR : TALES OF LOVE AND WAR: Robin McKay and Dave McKay, a Port Perry couple, share a romantic moment on the set of All My Sons. They play the parts of Chris Keller and Ann Deever. The Borelians' production of Arthur Miller's play opened last Thursday, and continues this weekend at Town Hall 1873 in Port Perry. We've got a review of the play, and. detalis on how to get tickets, on page 4 of today's Star. By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Plans for a new Canadian Tire store in Port Perry were filed with township officials last week. - An application for a public hearing and plans for a - new plaza have been received, Scugog Township clerk Kim Coates confirmed. The package, submitted by Tire and Sobey's (IGA) stores, as well as two restau- official plan and rezone the property, said Ms I "Stockworth Changes would also have to be made to the regional Developments Inc., includes plans for a new Canadian rants, the clerk said. The plaza is proposed for a piece of land just south of town, east of Simcoe St. and south of the Scugog Lumber property. ~~ .. A public meeting must be held because. the devel- oper wishes to make amendments to the Jownships Coates. official plan. Please turn to page 11 i the corne r of \A'L 3. & 1g LAVA TA in Manchester wa | oven