Board will spend $150.5 million Education taxes increase by $35.60 Budget a model of restraint: Brown Whitby property tax- payers will pay 6.81 per cent more in education taxes this year. At their meeting Monday night, the Durham Board of Education adopted a $150.5 million budget during a 24-minute discussion sandwiched between longer debates on raising fees for general interest courses and French language education. Most trustees said that the document was a model of restraint and had been carefully scrutinized during seven meetings of the finance committee most of which were held behind closed doors. The 6.81 per cent in- crease translates into an additional $35.60 on the taxbill for the average Whitby resident. This is on top of the $7.20 increase im- posed by the Town of Whitby and the $12.08 of the Region of Durham. The board will spend over $7.4 million more than last year and will create over 112 new staff position, the majority of which will be used in the im- plementation of new programs. In his address to the board, finance commit- tee chairman Trustee Ian Brown (Whitby) said that the budget "reflects sound fiscal policy subject to careful scrutiny. "There are no ex- cesses, no wastage, no fat to trim," he added. "At the same time, those directly affected by our financial prac- tises, our students, are not lacking." While he admitted that the tax increases were unlikely to be welcomed by the tax- payer Brown believes that the budget struck a balance between the demands for fiscal restraint and those for increased spending and expectations for expan- ded services. The $7.4 million ex- penditure increase amounts to just over 5 per cent and Brown pointed out that this is within the guidelines established by the provincial government last year. Brown told the board that in spite of this, some of the board's em- ployee-related costs such as workman's compensation insuran- ce, unemployment in- surance and Canada Pension Plan con- Vol. 14, No. 13 Wednesday, March 28, 1984 20 Pages tributions have in- creased at a higher rate. Fuel prices, garbage disposal, transportation and utilites have seen cost increases of bet- ween three and 15 per cent in the last year. The board's 3,700 em- ployees taken the biggest slice of the budget - 87.4 per cent. Brown also pointed out that the provincial contributions to local education have decreased from 62.29 per cent of the budget in 1972 to 50.3 per cent this year. This has a marked effect on the local property tax bill. In an interview after the meeting, the trustee said it was unfair to compare the board of education to other local governments. Board problems, he said, can often be met through the hiring of additional staff. "The needs that school boards face can be met through the ad- dition of more staff," Brown said. He did, however, ad- mit that the board could survive without the new 112 staff positions that the budget calls for. "Survived, yes, I sup- pose," Brown said, "Provided an adequate program, no." This year the board will be able to maintain all existing programs and will even expand in a few areas. He also defended the budget as being one of restraint. "We're running a lean ship, about the leanest in the province," Brown claimed. "There's no gravy ... it's all meat and potatoes stuff that's really needed." The 24-minute public, full board discussion, he added did not represent the work done on producing the budget. eThere was close to 100 hours (of discussion) in closed session," Brown said, "it is not an indication of the total amount of time and ef- fort put into the budget." When on the floor for discussion, most trustees echoed Brown's assertion that it was a model of financial responsibility. One trustee, David French, said that it was carefully scrutinized dollar-for-dollar altho- ugh he added that he was glad that the per- ception that "this is a cheap board, this is a board that won't spend, is being laid to rest." Grave error: mayor.... Town rejects sidewalks for Euclid Street A proposal to build sidewalks on the west side of Euclid Street was voted down by Whitby Town Council at their meeting Monday nighLt. The planned five-foot wide boulevard along most of the sidewalk would hot be enough to allow the piling of snow, Councillor Joe Bugelli said. "If the sidewalk had the proper setback the front yards would be seven feet at the narrowest. As it is, the front yards would be fourteen feet at the narrowest." "The number and age of pedestrians as well as the amount of traffic should. be considered," he continued. "From what I can see, no traf- fic count has been done. This proposa] appears to be based on a study from 1982 on traffic on Dundas Street Nôrth. What does traffic on Dundas have to do with pedestrian traffic on Euclid?" "If we had just pulled a sidewalk out of a hat, we likely wouldn't be doing ..it,"s Coundillor Ross Batten said. "This area is under recon- struction now. We have to cônsider the safety of those who want to walk. There are children going to school and elderly peoplë walking there." "Sidewalks are the most recreational things I know," Coun- cillor Drumm said. "They are easy to look after and safe for children." Mayor Attersley said that council was making a "grave error" by voting down the sidewalk proposal. "This will come back to haunt you," he warned. Council defeated an operations committee recommendation that the sidewalks be con- structed. Area residents had appeared before the committee objecting to the $160,000 project because they believed it was not needed and that they did not want to be forced to clear snow from it during the win- ter months. Town bylaws state that homeowners must clear snow from the sidewalkà ~ in front of their homes. I