Bugelli: Should oppose removal of liimt on gas bars Courthouse comedy o plays Alma in a scene from the upcoming Whitby the cigar of Courthouse Theatre comedy produc- im Renshaw, tion, "The Bed Before Yesterday." Free Press photo Whitby councillor Joe Bugelli would like the Town to fight a provincial decision to repeal a bylaw that allows municipalities to limit the number of gas stations in town. "I don't know why the minister is doing this. This has served this municipality well," said Bugelli about the bylaw. Council received a letter from Minister of Municipal Affairs John Eakins stating that the bylaw will be repealed effective July 1. The minister wrote that the approval of gas stations should be a "iand use" issue. Town planning department has informed council that the Town, while not able to impose a limit after July 1, would still have control over the number of gas stations through zoning. Planning staff noted there is now-only one location in Whitby, at the southwest corner of Rossland and Thickson Rd., that is zoned for a gas station. But Bugelli said a persistent developer, if turned down by council, could take his case to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). "Then you have OMB members Budget cuts may include new bus policy Whitby ratepayers who support public schools may be facing an increase of 9.14 per cent in the mill rate for the education portion of their taxes for the 1988-89 year - despite proposed cuts,' including busing of French immersion students. French immersion student busing was part of the revised transportation policy recently approved by the board. In a lengthy session of the finance and salary committee of the Durham Board of Education last Thursday night, trustees and staff attempted to make cuts in programming, expansion and staffing to keep the overall mill rate below 10 per cent. The -board will decide on the proposed budget next week. Trustees say drastic budget cuts were necessary to reduce the tax increase. They point out that although the Province increased funding overall, most of the money went to predesignated provincial programs and to pay for the increase in the school population across Ontario. Oshawa trustee Cathy O'Flynn commented, "We get no support for these increases (in the mill rate). How do we explain this to our people?" Trustees said they would let Council wants subsidy for tax loss By a vote of 5-1 on Monday night last week, Whitby council decided to ask the Canadian government to subsidize the Town for the loss of taxes due to supermailboxes. A Pickering couple recently received a five per cent tax reduction.because their home was located near a supermailbox. The Town has now been informed that, effective the start of the 1989 tax year, all prop- erties which "abut" a super-. mailbox will receive the same consideration. According to the Town's treasurer, this will result in a revenue loss of $90.69 per supermaiibox. The total tax loss for the Town is not yet known because an exact number of how many supermailboxes' will be located in Town is not available. "If the locationof supermail- boxes causes the tax base to be reduced, mill rates and taxation of existing property and business will increase in direct proportion. Therefore, all ratepayers in Whitby will subsidize the tax- ation of properties which abut supermailboxes," states a trea- surer's report. But council wants the Can- adian government to pay the difference. "Canada Post has the feeling they canb tamper with aur properties by putting what they want where they want. Private companies couldn't do that. They havetelive within the Towns rules," said councillor Ross Batten. But councillor Marcel Brunelle disagreed. He said the request could interfere with current negoti- ations between the Town and Cnada o br uqnarie, around the supermailboxes. (Council wants its request te be included with any agreement the two parties sign.) Brunelle said, however, he would like the two to be separated. "I don't agree with Brunelle. The petition has to be strong, " said Batten. "We are not willing to settle for a partial settlement. We want cash-in-lieu. We are not willing to negotiate. This is what we want and what we demand." Council will also ask for endorsement by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Speciali the provincial government know how seriously their grant cuts are affecting the quality of education in Durham Region. 'You can only get so much juice out of the orange. People will not take these increases in mill rates," Oshawa trustee Gary Kitchen said during discussion. The block budget increase is proposed to be reduced to 5 per cent; there will be a reduction in the number of microcomputers for elementary school offices; no money wiil be put inte an archives for the Board of Education's antiquities; carpeting fornschools bas been deferred te next years budget; and annual funding for a new board administrative building has also been deferred; all proposed capital project funded by the board will be cancelled for this year's budget; meaning several schools will not receive funding for renovation or additions. In order to reduce the capital levy, staffing was cut so that many sectors of teaching, cus- todial and support staff will remain at. present levels, with SEE PAGE 5 tpplemenit with no vested interest in the municipality making that decis- ion," said Bugelli. Currently, when a municipality turns down a gas station, a developer can appeal the decision at the OMB but has to fight the bylaw which gives municipalities the right to limit gas stations. SEE PAGE 8 Hopeton returns to Jamaica Eleven-year-old Hopeton Ed- wards, who came to Canada on Feb. 18 for treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children for neurofibromatosis, returns to Jamaica tomorrow (Thursday). After many tests, doctors at the hospital discovered they could do no more for Hopeton than minor cosmetic surgery. But he will return in a year for re- evaluation. Hopeton was brought to Canada, with financial assistance from the Herbie Fund, by Anna Bryan of Whitby. Bryan will be returning to Jamaica with Hopeton who will take home a new bike, ghetto blaster, remote-controlled car and SEE PAGE 30 FRANCES HELYAR, wh Keene, unwillingly lights Victor Keene, played by J Dymentnamed 'Educator of the Year' See page 14 Nieuwendyk pleased with rookie season See page 20