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Page 8 â€" Waterioo Chronicie, Wednesday, March 29, 1978 _ The Region in review | by William H. _ ~ Palmer _ A fiveâ€"member ad hoc committee has been esâ€" tablished to begin considerâ€" ing sites for a permanent home for Waterloo Regionâ€" al government. We will have to learn to adapt to regional governâ€" ment says Waterioo Mayor Marjorie Carroll. "It‘s here to stay, that I‘m sure of," Mrs. Carroll said at the Elmira Kiwanis Breakfast meeting on Wedâ€" The Regional headquarâ€" ters committee would inâ€" clude one member each a common theme â€" there is a strong feeling that costs are rising much faster than benefits received. When we dig a little deeper there are some specific areas of concern over rising costs that emerge time and again. We have just finished interviewing the 73 _municipal councilliors in the region and I want to share with you their primary concerns. Almost to a man (or woman) there is agreement among the municipal counciliors that property tax increases should be kept to a minimum. Against this they must balance the demands for improved services and the pressure of inflation on existing service levels. There is a keen awareness that just to maintain existing services, the property tax is going to be forced: up because of inflation and a reâ€" duction in the rate of increase in Provincial grants. Councils are now in the position of trying to cut some services in order to have the money to proâ€" vide others. It is therefore particularly interesting to learn in what areas municipal counciliors believe there is room for increased efficiency and reduced the Province of Ontario and ilnater the Chairâ€" man of the Ontario Municipal Board. What are the problems facing local government in Waterloo Region? We‘ve been asking that quesâ€" tion of hundreds of people in the last few months. The answers have vafied widely but there has been Not all of the people who agreed on the problems agreed on how to solve them. With education the problem was generally seen to be a lack of coordiâ€" nation between the budgeting of the region and the school boards. With planning, road maintenance, and water and sewers the concern generally Was that there appeared to be considerable duplication between the région and local municipalities costing both time and money. Three concerns emerged about police â€" the duplication between the regional police and the O.P.P. the perceived lack of officers ‘"‘"on the beat‘"" in the community and a feeling that the rural areas were getting more police service than required. The concern related to the administrative overhead of the region dealt mostly with the numâ€" bers and level of pay of the supervisory and manâ€" agement personnel in the regional administration. The commission will be examing these and other questions in the next few months. As your elected representatives, the councillors have made their views known to us, but I am sure that many of the public have specific examples of problems in these and other services and it would be of great assistance to us if you would take the time and let us know of your particular experiences. Over 80% of the counciliors cited education and planning as areas in which they felt there was room for increased efficiency, reduced duplication or service reduction. Over 60% cited road maintenance and conservation and over 50% were concerned with police, water and sewage and regional staff overhead. Committee to seek permanent Region home By Kim Dadson has been established by the Province. st the request of the Regional Council to examine Paimer is the Commissioner and, as such, is responsible for the preperation of the report Carroll says: adapt to regional government from Kitchener,. Waterloo and Cambridge. one member representing the rural munâ€" icipalities, and â€" Regional chairman Jack Young. nesday. "I‘m not proâ€"region but we must attempt to face reality. "I have a firm belief we must redefine the purpose of _ regional â€" government: why it came into being. why it is not working and what changes are needed." ‘‘"I sense a general feelâ€" ing among members of council _ that > discussions should be initiated soon to look at this longâ€"term Affairs in She said it was the most radical change in governâ€" ment for a long time as the basic municipal system was formed over 100 years ago. She said the increased residential, commanity and industrial _ growth _ have changed the dependence on problem."" wrote Young in a report recommending the committee. Costs at the Region‘s curâ€" rent headquarters in Waâ€" terloo‘s Marsland Centre are escalating. Rent will increase $62,000 this vear . The Region‘s policy is to ultimately own the premâ€" Erb St. Mennonite Church government, it increased responsibility at Queen‘s park. It was long felt that strong local government was good but it was realized that many municipalities were too small to provide all the services that citizens wantâ€" ises for its principle adâ€" ministrative operations. It was decided to build the present church on Erb St. near Dunbar Rd. The stones for the foundation had been donated and hauled to the site during the winter of 1902. The excavaâ€" tion was done in one day using four The early Mennonites met in priâ€" vate homes to worship until they could construct a meeting house. In 1851 David Eby Sr. gave a parcel of land on the southâ€"east corner of Erb St. and Haliman Rd. (now a cemâ€" etary) to be used for a church. It was constructed of red brick and known as the David &by Church. This church remained as a centre of worship until the turn of the century when the church was in need of repair. The original church architecture was plain and solid with five pairs of round headed windows down each side and a round headed front door with a window on either side and a round window above the door under the gable. The church has a very plain interior. The benches, doors, trim, and wainsâ€" cotting are oak. The ceiling was figured tin but has been lowered and covered with acoustic tile. The chancel is unâ€" pretentious and houses a simple oak pulpit, a communion table and an organ. . scrapers and many willing hands. The sand was used to make mortar for the yellow bricks. The cost of the structure was $4,000.00. The majority of the members of this church are descendents of Swiss Mennonites who settled in Pennsylvanâ€" ia, then came to Waterloo by Conesâ€" toga wagon in the early 1800‘s. ~ In the past, a number of sites has been discussed. The most detailed proposal was to purchase and convert the Kâ€"Mart _ shopping _ plaza on Hwy. 8 between Camâ€" bridge and Kitchener. A door to the left of the chancel By Marg Rowel! Two main complaints in this area have been duplicaâ€" tion of services and increasâ€" ed spending. ed. she said. ‘*In Waterloo Region there is no question that spendâ€" ing has increased in the past few years," Mrs. Carâ€" roll said, ‘"but we must consider the population growth also."~ Mrs. Carroll noted that there was a 30 per cent inâ€" crease in housing in Waterâ€" loo compared to the provinâ€" cial increase of 20 per cent. â€" in the same period of time. She also said there was a 60 per cent increase in Waterloo in income per house in the years 1971 to 76. ‘"One of our problems is that the region is too big." .__ We are grateful to Deacon E. Clare "Shantz for taking the time to show us the church and providing us with the early history of the congregation. Erb St. Area Residents) programme and a Manna programme which feeds senior citizens each Thursday. This is done in coâ€"operation with Mount Zion Lutheran, Knox Presbyterian and Lady of Lourdes Churches. The church has been without a regular minister since 1976, but Rev. Wilmer Mattin will become the pasâ€" tor in September. In the interim a team of ministers has conducted the worship services. " & The church is active in the comâ€" munity with a HE.AR. (Helping and remodelled. A new front entrance was added as well as a pastor‘s study and church office. A nursery was addâ€" ed above the new entrance and two week it is used by a preâ€"school coâ€"op nursery school. Recently the church sold its parâ€" sonage, and with the money put an addition on the right side. This adâ€" dition consists of a ramp going to the basement and another to the church. The exterior brick blends very niceâ€" ly with the old yellow brick. This ment below the entrance. & In 1962, the church purchased a house on Avondale Ave: for additional area goes to a lobby and another door from here gives access to the parking lot in the rear. The basement of the church conâ€" tains a large meeting room, a kitchen and some classrooms. . Rather than the seven muâ€" nicipalities that now form the two tier regional govâ€" ernment,. Cambridge sugâ€" gested three municipalities on a one tier basis. Mrs. Carroll said and she noted the brief that the Cambridge Chamber of Comâ€" merce submitted to the reâ€" view commission suggesting a further breaking down in the region. The three areas would be the Municipality of Waâ€" terloo, Wellesley and Woolâ€" wich;: the Municipality of Kitchener and Wilmot and the Municipality of Camâ€" bridge and North Dumfries. In conclusion. Mrs. Carroli asked that community serâ€" vice clubs contact their poliâ€" ticians and let them know what they are thinking.