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3 = = # | hw ~~ i o po 2 tM EC wi or TR Volume 135 Number 20 COPY 75¢ (70¢ + 5¢ GST) 32 Pages RIK DAVIE/PORT PERRY STAR MARKING EARTH DAY: Sitar player Shambhu Das was among those who attended an Earth Day event Sunday (April 22) in Brooklin. The multi-faith gathering attracted representatives from a number of area churches and groups. Talks stall with tax By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Township budget discussions sched- uled for yesterday were cancelled, as staff continue to look for ways to make cuts. The special meeting, which was to be held before council yesterday, was post- poned until next Monday, giving township staff an additional week to find savings in their respective departments. It will be held April 30. Ward 2 Councillor Marilyn Peace, who chairs the budget committee, said staff are more than $100,000 over their limit for the 2001 operating budget, and must either make cuts or find additional rev- enues. 'Without adjustments to the current fig- ures Scugog residents would be looking at eighbouthood of 7 per "cent forthe township this yéar. "We're 'not ready yet; the increase is still too large. Staff will have to come back next week with some cuts made, because we can't go forward with that kind of increase," Councillor Pearce said Friday. Please turn to page 21 Residents face eviction in Borelia rent crackdown By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star Numerous residents of a co-operative housing complex in Port Perry are facing eviction, as the board of directors and the provincial housing ministry work to address what one official calls "financial difficulties that may jeopardize 'the finan- cial viability of the corporation." While officials won't comment on num- 'bers, it is believed by people living in the Borelia Co-Operative Homes Inc. complex that more than 20 residents and their fami- lies have either been served eviction notices, or have been alerted to the fact they may face eviction. Outstanding rent arrears are the cause for the evictions, say sources living in the 70-unit neighbour- hood, located south of Hwy. 7A in Port Perry. Members of the co-op's board of direc- tors, residents appointed by their neigh- bours, are refusing to talk about the rash of notices being handed out, citing confiden- tiality issues. A representative with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) who has been brought in to deal - with Borelia said that the ministry is work- ing with co-op 'directors to address a deficit. Some residents say that deficit is more than $35,000. ~ "Based on financial documents sup- plied to MMAH, Borelia Co-Operative is experiencing financial difficulties that may jeopardize the financial viability of the cor- poration," Martha McBurnie, a programs manager with the MMAH's central region office, wrote in response to a list of ques- tions submitted by The Star. "The financial issues are in part attrib- uted to housing charge arrears." In fact, one source with access to infor- mation at the regional level said Borelia has been identified by the ministry as a "Project In Decline", which is referred to by the curious acronym PID. "Their arrears are dangerously high compared to the rent they collect," said the source, who indicated that the arrears situ- ation is being cleaned up by the provincial ministry, which is preparing to download responsibility for the co-op to the region. "The region is not going to take over projects in decline," said the source. Residents are shocked at what they see as a harsh approach being taken to address rent arrears, and the number of residents in the co-op who are affected. Please turn to page 10 (oJ EY CCH AAA IO NCA NO, R PST BRAKE WORK