T axtalk Trustee, councillor differ on tax commission proposais By Mile Kowali A provincial report which recommends removinig education funding from the property týax systemi has drawn conflicting views from two Whitby politi- cians. Reinal councillor Marcel Bruele supports a proposai to fund education from general revenues -- principally, personal income tax. 1Brunelle believes the current method of fundig education in Ontario is "unfcairand penalizes homeowners. Education is a societal obliga- tion and should be funded by society, based on one's ability to pay, he argues. School board trustee Patty Bowman disagrees. Bowman t he new chair of the Durham ÃIoard of Education, says shifting the onus of who pays for education fails to address the real probîem -- an underfunded sehool system. She also worries that changing the way education is funded could eventually resuit in the demise of echool boards and an end te local control of the sy'stem. The source of Bowman s con- cerns and Brunelle's delight is a massive report released-by the Ontario Fair Tai Commission earlier this month. The first major review of Ontario's tai system in more than 25 years, tMha report makes 135 recommendations for revamping the existing system. According te a commission press release, the "cornerstene of the report deals with preperty tai reform. The commission recommends that educatien ne longer be fun- ded from property taxes, but that the $3.5 billion raised from resi- dential property taxes as a source of core fundine for educa- tien, be replaced with funding frein general revenues. At the saine turne, the report recommends allowing for a local levy, limited te 10 per cent of provincial funding, te pay for services beyond a provincial standard.' Ini addition, the commission recomnienda Ontario replace the local non-residential preperty tai SEE PAGE 14 PHYLISS BEADLE tries on a bike helmet gien, to her as a going-away present. Beadie retired Dec. 17 after 26 years as Phyli*ss t By Mark Reesor Par entechers and strdets crowded inte he gym t R.A. Sennett Public School recently te, bid teary-eyedegobyeste, long- time secretary PylissBadle. Beadle's made a lot of close friends in her 26 years at the schoel. It showed in the emotional tributes, gifts, funny stories and especially in the faces -of the many students who lined Up afterwards te get a hug and wish her a happy retirement. "I have leved every day of my 26 years at this school,» she teld them. «It bas been my privuleW te see students in school graduate R.A. Sennett Public School's secretary. Teachers and students alike ined up 10 give her a hug and wish her weII. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press li*ds fond farewel and return as parents them- selves. Se many wonderful fam- ilies have gene te R.A. Sennett... 'This building is like a small community. Every adult devotes theinselves te creating a safe and caring environment for .you te grow and learn in." Looki,ng verwhelmed by the display of affection, Beadie said after that Sennett has always been a "smail and very caring» school. «It reminda me very much eof the one-room school I went te grewing u%... we've always been se luckyhere that we ve had such wonderful staff." Beadie says she «vividly" remembers ber first day as secre- t t Sennett. Wat was it like? "I wouldn't tell y ou,» she says with a lauNgh. <'I felt very welcome right frorn the firat day -- that's probably a ~odway te, put it. I always have fetvery much at home here; I came te girl guides here when I was a teenager, se, it's always felt like home.» Beadie says Sennett used te, be "the» school for the centre of tewn - students living West eof Brock Street from the 401 te Dundas Street aIl went there. «Now there's schools every- where and I haven't been in any of them! But the tewn changes.» SEE PAGE 23 LONGTIE SENNETT SECRETARY