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Double digit tax increase okayed Penetanguishene council isn't sacrific- ing necessary spending in 1988. The increase in 1988 tax for public school supporters is 14 per cent. Separate school supporters will pay 13 per cent more tax. ; A public school supporter who owns a three bedroom bungalow will pay $154 more tax in 1988. "Without the increase in waste disposal costs, the increase to a public school sup- porter would only have been four per cent and to a Roman Catholic separate school supporter 2.6 per cent," Councillor Don MceNee said. Spending which had to be done includes: ¢ A new roof on, and repairs to, the brick and mortar of the municipal building; ¢ Reconstruction of Edward Street from Main Street to Lucy Street along with a storm sewer that has been in the plann- ing stage for more than 20 years, and a sidewalk from Main Street to Dunlop Street; TRW to expand jj Despite the rain, hundreds of employees joined the press and other dignitaries to hear the official announcement of TRW's expansion. Pla: : 3 in Penetanguishene will be growing by 38,000 square feet at a cost of $1.3 million. The factory will be the central office for TRW vehicle safety systems in Canada. Simcoe East MPP Al McLean and Depu- ty Mayor Francis St. Amant were on hand to start digging the foundation on the front lawn. Using new, stainless steel shovels the crew huddled under umbrellas and dug up some earth. In an address to the assembled workers, McLean said he was "happy to hear the news about the expansion" and revealed that he had "been driving GM cars for 35 years now."' TRW manufactures seat belts for GM, the largest car producer in the world. St. Amant wished the workers "'the best of luck." TRW's Penetanguishene plant employs 700 people over two shifts a day. Fully 90 per cent of these are women. Along with producing seat belts and "contractors" the device that ensures a seatbelt will tighten automatically when a car comes to an abrupt stop, TRW tests its products inside the factory. e Fifteen more street lights on Main Street; e A chassis for a new fire truck; e And "our much needed town brochure to attract the much needed tourist in- dustry to our municipality." The $5.7 million budget "'was prepared with great difficulty with the exorbitant costs for waste disposal. However, after serious deliberations it was decided that we must be a progressive municipality and to delay all projects we would be just fooling ourselves as the forecasts for waste disposal do not decrease, but will increase over the next few years,' McNee, finance committee chairperson, said. The 1987 budget increase was 7.5 per cent. The Edward Street project is "a vital component of our storm water system to restore the capacity to our Main Street sewage treatment plant." Spending on waste removal has soared in one year from less than three per cent in 1987 to nearly eight per cent of the budget in 1988. St. Amant is town's mayor » a | Pentanguishene Mayor Frances St. Amant. Penetanguishene's acting mayor is now mayor. Deputy Reeve Frances St. Amant was elected to finish the late Ron Bellisle's term of office by a 5-3 vote on Monday evening. Reeve Art Stewart and Councillor Bob Sullivan were the other nominees. Counc. Sullivan did not chose to stand for election. Both the deputy reeve and the reeve have said that they will run for mayor in the municipal election in November. St. Amant told her fellow council -members, "I will do my utmost not to disappoint any one of you."' The veteran member of the council said that she would work hard. St. Amant had been the deputy mayor. The council did not discuss filling the va- cant position of deputy reeve, or the va- cant council seat. TRW is expanding. The official ceremonies St. Amant, Al McLean and David Zimmer- were held last Friday as various dignitaries man. turned out to celebrate. Pictured are Francis posed to dirt to see how this will affect Good times ahead | In a "dust machine" the seatbelts are ex- their performance under real conditions.