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mum;-:emmz. $800,000 muuoa;nauwuzubu 3|;enreenttfisyur. d I._ is Eined farmer of oid o proiimy uid off Waterloo Region‘s $47.1 gion‘s tax levy increase to relaudpm,. Region Region budget needs *800,00 trimming to meet 1978 target: Waterione Chronicie, Wednesday, March 22, 1978 â€" Page 3 ite concerns about where the program is headed. They have indicated that the program is moving faster, sooner and further than anyone expected and are concerned about the implications to the overall program and the students. Kitchener trustee, John Reimer, asked if the board was in the practice of hiring teachers with a French specialty only and teachers who may be redundant at a later date. Mr. MacMillan assured him this was not the case. Waterioo trustee, Doreen Thomas, said that as a board of education they have a responsibility.to supâ€" ply a French program to those who request it. She asked if any steps had been taken to encourage the board‘s present teaching staff to take French lanâ€" guage instruction immediately? Ross Cruickshank, director of education, said the board has been trying to encourage teachers with a French background to upgrade it for some time now. He questioned the Ministry of Education as to what steps they were taking to help upgrade teachers and the Ministry said teachers must hold a degree in French. It is Mr. Cruickshank‘s belief that any teacher with a French background and some upgrading can handle the first three or four classes. Cambridge trustee, Ted Clare, told fellow trustees that as far as the program was concerned he didn‘t see ""a tough problem ahead."‘ â€" â€" Kitchener trustee, Grant MacDonald expressed the hope that both the trustees and teachers federaâ€" tions would manage to find ways over "the bumpy periods." alhnaymwmbedded to cough up $20.2 million to cover their share of the than in 1977. . Minus an anticipated 3 per cent increase in assessâ€" ment, the impact on the tax levy would be a net inâ€" crease of 4.3 per cent. The average of $3.85 on a propâ€" erty tax bill of $500. an area municipality‘s total tax bill, including local and school board costs, would be a .77 per cent increase. On the average, the Regionâ€" al levy is responsible for 18 per cent of the total propâ€" erty tax bill. Last fall, the Region crease to the tax levy as a guideline to be met by its departments. If reached, Regional taxes would not rise this year because inâ€" cover additional costs. reached the target for budâ€" gets directly under its conâ€" trol such as planning, engiâ€" social services. Those budâ€" gets in total are currently 3.3 per cent higher than last year‘s tax levy. Gross expenditures for budgets directly under Reâ€" gional control has risen to $30.6 million, a 7.1 per cent climb. The rise is entirely due to increased spending on roads and welfare asâ€" directly under Regional control especially police. The net tax levy for police sistance. costs has risen .by $1.5 million, 12.7 per cent higher than in 1977. The police expect to spend $14.1 milâ€" lion this year. Helping to reduce the impact was a surplus at the end of 1977 of almost $1 million. That was $300,â€" 000 more than the surplus at the end of the previous _ Regional council takes its first crack at the budget tomorrow morning. 7.3 per to add an would