WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCII 20, 1985, PAGE 3 Bowmanville will also get a new police station.... Windfail grant brings regional tax hike down to 4% Whitby residents will see a slight reduction in their 1i85 regional property taxes thanks to a $576,000 windfaii received by Durham Regional Council from the provincial gover- nment. Coun. Jim Witty A proposai to buiid a plaza at the corner of Thickson Rd. N. and Crawforth St. has been sent back to committee by Whitby Town Coun- c il. Charcomp Develop- ments Inc. had proposed to buiid an 11,000 square foot commercial plaza on the lot which could accommodate a home decorating store, a retail store or a con- venience store and donut shop/restaurant. However, East Ward Coun. Joe Drumm toid (Ajax), chairman of the finance committee, told council at its meeting iast week that the government has given the region $576,000 more in unconditionai grants than was budgetted for. Witty said that the government aiiocated council he doesn't see the need for such a plaza in this location, pointing out that the Bad Boy Plaza is immediately to the south and the Whit- by Mail on the south- east corner of Thickson Rd. and Dundas St. is fully developed. He aiso noted that the 7-11 chain, operates a store at the north-west corner of Thickson Rd. and Dundas St., so a new convenience store a few hundred yards to the north shouldn't be needed. Bandits used rifle in gas bar robbery Two men, one carrying a rifle, heid up maie, between 17 and 18 the Pronto Self Serve years of age, scruffy Gas Bar on Brock St. S. looking with four days in the eariy hours of iast growth of beard. He was Saturday morning. wearing blue jeans, a According to the beige jacket and a red Durham Regionai and white basebali cap. Police Force, the men The second suspect entered the gas bar at was aiso a white maie, about 3:43 a.m., about five-foot, 10- threatened the lone, 17- inches tali weighing year old maie attendant about 170 pounds who and took between $150 was also wearing biue and $180 in cash and jeans and a basebali cigarettes. cap. The first suspect is Police said that the at- described as a white tendant was uninjured. Type writer RENTALSI also SALES & SERVICE $23,500 of the money for the regional water and sewer system, $233,500 to be applied against the property tax levy and $319,000 in an increased per household grant for policy purposes. The finance commit- tee had originally "Where's the necessity? " he asked. Drumm also fears that the plaza wiil open the way for an extension of Crawforth St. despite two Ontario Municipal Board ruiings that have forbidden such a move. The councillor also suggested that thse proposai wouid create additionai ingress and egress problems for traffic on Thickson Rd. Centre Ward Coun. Marcel Brunelle sup- ported Drumm's position saying that the orientation of tise building - onto Crawfor- th St. - was wrong. Cars ieaving the new plaza would only add to an aiready "congested main thoroughfare. " "There are a lot of problems with this the way it is," Brunelle said. recommended that al $576,000 be appiied against the tax levy. For Whitby residents, this wouid have meant a 3.4 instead of a 5.2 per cent tax increase. Coun. John Aker (Oshawa), was one of those councillors who advocated using ail the grant money to reduce the tax level. H1e noted that the region had only struck its budget the week previous and while a lot of people weren't happy with it, "everybody could live with it". "This money is the taxpayer's money," he said, "It reduces our in- crease to 3.2 per cent which wiii make in con- sistant with iast year's 2.8 per cent." Aker said he was also unwiuling to increase the region's expenditure limits for t his year. "I'm not anxious to increase our expen- diture level," he said, "That surplus should flow back to the tax- payers. We were al pieased with the budget. "This money reaily beiongs to the tax- payer."t However, Witty said that the money shouid be used for what the proincalgovernment That is the $319,000 should be earmarked 411 have corne to love this place: peace and quiet if you want it, lots of activity and cornpanionship if you s0 desire ... all in aIl a great place to live". This is how Marlou Shier, tenant at Regency Place, sums up living in this luxury complex. $223,5w0 should bc used to offset the property tax bill. Witty ioted that the $223,50W wiii reduce the tax rate from an average of five per cent down to four per cent. For Witby residents, their regional property taxes will go up about $8 to $219 instead of $10 to 9AIl utilities included except telephone & cable eOutside parking included Model Suite Open For Viewing Weekdays 9-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 10-4 15 Regency Cres. Whitby, Ont. LIN 7K9 683-9557, Toronto LUne (416) 666-3220, Wbitby LUne The finance chairman aiso said that spending the money in the areas it was intended for was good fiscal management and wiii reduce the region's ex- penditure requirements in later years. The $319,000 police purposes wlll be used to fund the construction of the village of Bowman- ville. Witty's position won the day when Regional Chairman Gary Herrema cast the deciding vote after council had voted 13-13 to uphoid the commit- tee's recommendation to return ail the money to the taxpayers. @Two intimate 6 storey buildings .Planned activity centre -,Close to ail amenities @Rent fromn $465 per month eJust 30 minutes from Toronto Council sends plaza plan baek to eonmuttee 71rrSOLID OAK AND PINE FIJRNITURE SALE NOW ON [ nKitchen, Dining &Beedroom Suites & Accessories 110 DUNLOP ST. E., WHITBY 666-1331 O pen Mon.-Wed. 10-6, Thurs.-Fri. 10-9, Sat. 10-5 NOW OPEN SU NDAY15 A NEW CONCEPT g IN LIVING ~.FOR55ANDOVERI Marlou Shier enjoys relaxlng at Regency Place.9 1 & 2 Bedrooms Located In Parkland Setting Central Whitby NAIL APRONS Cotton o .~ 75e~ Genuine o'è S16.39 Leather Cali and builc iti better ai: hOLLANd, buildI'NG CENTRE 1277 Wilson Rd. N. - Mn.Wed. 8a -6 p-M 725-4709 Z satucimys 8 arn. -Sp-m 1