WhIIby Fm ro.Pos. Weà m'eday. Jaumy 27.19M3 Page 11 1 qqbor- IW q pw - Np aw a uu,- -Mamo-, M'anal~...... ...††††††††††††††††††††††††††††~~ By Mike Kowalski Whitby's downtown busiinesses will be able te dictate how much of their tax dollars are spent on the downtewn this year. The approximately 400 members of the Downtown Business Improvement Aiea (DBIA) will be surveyed prier te adoption of the DBIAs 1993 budget. TrIýeasurer Grant Souter said the next DBIA nèwslettor will contain a questionnaire seeking input from the membership on what should be included in this year's budget. Survey results will then be discussed at two separate meetings prier to adoption of the budget during the March 2 annual meeting. On Feb. 16 members of the DBIA's retail sector will have their say on the budget. The following night (Feb. 17) professienal secter members (banks, lawyers, docters, etc.) will be given their opportunity te comment. Although Souter said the DBA management board has net yet placed a dollar figure on the 1993 budget, The free Press has obtained a copy of this year's tentative budget. Te board is propesing a budget of $155,974 for 1993. This represents an il per cent decrease in 1992's proposed figure of $175,894. (Althoug last years budget was$789 thepr «ectd actuel budget for 1992 is sligà tly lessp ?-172,012.) «We'll have te, wait until they (members) tell us what they're loking for,» said Souter. "Once we meet with themn on the two different nights it wiIl be p ut down on paper.» The board is net specifically recemmending any new projecta to the membership this year, said Souter. "Ail we've done ia put the survey together. We're not jumping ahead and suggesting any- thing," lho said. Souter said the board has listed a few newv capital expenditures on the survey such as street benches, bannera, hîstorical signs and framed business directories which would be installed in downtown parking lots. Activities included in the survey are an 'International Week,' sidewalk sales and a dlean-up week, hie said. DBIA chair Sean Hogue ho os nembers respond to the survey and attn next month's meetings. "We want to hear back from the merchants. Without their help we are foroed te set (budget) what we want," said Hogue. Last year's programs and projects will be repeated if that is what the membership desires, Hogue added. The DBIA is comprised of businesses and professional offices located primarily aon B rock and Dundas streets in a area bunded roughly by Hickory, Walnut, High and Ontario streets. Memnbership in the DBIA is mandatory. Members are assessed a special levy which is paid in addition te their municipal property taxes. The UBIA budget must also be passed by Town council after it is apprQved by the membership. The Whitby Chamber of Commerce has been given yet another opportunity to adclress legisiation put forward by the N P governiment. Today (Wednesday), the chamber's government relations committee will make a presentation on Bill 96 -- an Act to establish Ontario Training and Adjustmnent Boards. Ian Bergin, government relations committee chair, and Marc Kealey, a member of the committee, will address the legislative committee at Queen's Park. "We presented to the travelling committee last May, and have been very familier with OTAB since that time," said Bergin. 'Ne have some concerns that need te be expressed and addressed by the committee; there 18 a changing global marketplace where real effort in retrainmng Our community workforce will pay off if, in our view, community involvement is entrenched in this new legilation." The chamber wants the committee at Queen's Park to amend the act to give greater autonomy, fleibility and authority to local communities. "hs is the thrust of our presentation," said Bergin. 'Ne would like to impress upon the governmTent that a 'top down' process is certainly not tL trend today. "If governments are te succeed in the 1990s, there will have to be more uctive communication between the government and those whom they serve." GM engineer at meeting- engineer for General Motors of Canada, will be guest speaker at a dinner meeting te be 'held by the Whitby Junior Chamber/Jay- cees on Mlonday, Feb. 1. The speciel meetinà is being held in conjunction %Oîth Jaycee Week 1993. The theme is 'Environment & the Age .of Glo- bal Citizenship.' GM disp oses of 130 tonnes of waste eech day. 0f that amnount, 23 tonnes isa dean production scrap, miostly frem steel stamp- Iings, that can easily be recycled. board, wood end plastic packag- ing from auto parts, pop cans and other kinds of paper. GM has reduced its shipments te landfill sites by 36 per cent in the pat two years. Sirrs will discuss the program. The meeting will take place at the Prospect of Whitby in Pear- son Lanes. Cocktails wilI be at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. Cost is $5 per perseTi. AUl welcome. For information and reservations, caîl Steve Musial at 725-8004 or 728-5111. SmaBl friends of small business By Michaeï Wycks This littie business went te a credit union in search of cash. This little business went te a large chartered bank for a lean. This first little business headed streight te market as the second little business, hit by service charges, cried aIl the way home. Unlike little piggies, small business owners have a wide range of banling issues te contend with, one of the most significant irritants being service charges. A recent survey by the Canadien Federation Of Independent Business revealed that amaller financial institutions, including credit unions, provide the best service in the area, while the 'Big 5' banks continue te provide the worst. The ranking from asmali te, big, best te worst: credit unions (caisses populaires in Quebec), small chartered banks, trust companies, National Bank, Bank of MoPntreai, Royal Bank, Toronto Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scetia and the Canadien Imnperial Bank of Commerce. The owners of 8,000 small- and mediuni-sized businesses were surveyed on whether their financial institution provided good, adequate or poor service in five service charge-related areas: general disclosure of information, notification of fee changes, handling of NSF cheques, LMaînstream Canada j portunity for neoition on féee level and the =aalbliyo detailed accounting of charges. The lack of opportunity to negotiate was seen as the moet serious problem, particularly by the srnallest firmas surveyed. Bank practices with regard te NSF (not sufficient funds) cheques were aise given low ratings by CFIB members. At the provincial level, the survey showed that a strong institutions aIse provides the highest levels of satisfaction among smail firms. The more competitive banking markets, such as Aberte, Seskatchewan and Quebec, appeared more responsive to small business needs,, whereas views on service charge issues in the rest of the country were far more negative, particularly in Ontario, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories. With CFIB's publication of these surveys, some financial institutions have attempted te improve. Some have announced a ' freeze' te their service charges that may sound like a big deal but really isn't when you consider that the charges had been hiked te the hilt before the freeze was implemented. The ' freeze' aise routinely applied te only 'listed services,' deceptively ignoring many ether services used by business. Business ownera continue te feel gouged by the seem-ingly endless array of fees attached te their banking activities. While modest-sized finencial institutions are getting the message, the big banks; generelly have persisted with their widespread 'disservice' charges. There is still a great deal of progress te be made in reaching eut te the simalleat members of the Canadin business cern- munity. Seminar Highlights: s - Pay îess tax and 0 "Thei RRSP with 40% have tax sheltered growth mnore tax saviflgs - Use the balanced - Integrate your RRSP approach into your overai investmeflt to enhance your stratégy. RRSP retumns And much more Get the most out of your RRSP. Cail 416-666-RRSP to reserve your seat. DEREK DULKA BIA members to have input before '93 bud'get approval uGro- lai ncept