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.' Under. five per cent 'tremendous' 130th You No. " Wednesday, March 21. " Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Waterloo aldermen were taxed to their limits Monday afternoon as they attempted to trim spending estimates to further reduce the 1985 tax increase. Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff There are no easy answers for the Region of Waterloo as it continues its controversial search for a long-term solution to waste disposal prob- lems. Engineering consultants MacLaren Engineers Inc. have recommended expansion of Waterloo's Erb Street landfill site as the "preferred" solution, combined with "maximum implemen- tation" of the provincial 4R's - recycling, reuse, recovery, and reduction - to "substan- tially" decrease the amount of waste to be land- But when the four-hour final budget session was over, another 331,000 was added to the $355,000 in cuts recommended made by the filled. However, because of uncertainty over the future of the Waterloo dump, the consultants also advise study should continue into two Wilmot Township locations as a "fall-back." The first backup proposed is located south of (Continued on page 3) Final cuts leave' lean city budget Super Sisks No easy answers Page 1 6 finance advisory committee last week, reducing the tax increase for city purposes to $11.83, on a total tax bill of$t,000. This translates to a 4.9 per cent increase in the mill rate for city services. Key among Monday's deletions was $25,000 out of the $50,000 which had been earmarked for completion of Heritage Park. at King and William Streets. Ald. Doreen Thomas, however, was of the opinion that the city has already spent too much money on the path. -- _ fl _ _ - _ "I think we've got an excellent budget," remarked Mayor Marjorie Carroll afterward. "I really don't think there is any fat left in it ... and when you look at what we've accomplished, we haven't cut essential services in any way." "Because of the flak I've received, I have difficulty supporting $25,000," she said. “I have yet to hear even one positive comment about that whole exercise. What we don't need is another kiosk on the east side of King Street - what we have on the west side (the Heritage Timeteller) is enough." "To be able to come in under five per cent is tremendous." When budget deliberations began earlier this month proposed spending estimates of $17.2 million would have meant a tax increase for local purposes of almost 10 per cent. Aid. John Shortreed maintained the city should spend the money to complete Heritage Park, which was a city project undertaken to mark Water1oo's 125th anniversary. Because of the cut, construction of a kiosk, to be placed in the park’s central platform. has been delayed, but Ald. Jim Erb reported, portable planters and benches will be installed to improve its appearance. "We should do a job, finish it and get out of there - let people enjoy (the park) and let people see it as it was meant to be," he said. It also took finance committee chairman Aid. Richard Bigg's vote to break a stalemate on whether the city should trim $3,000 from the city's $23,700 tourism promotion contract with the Chamber of Commerce. He supported the reduction. l Tourism activities planned this year by the Chamber include spending $6,900 for brochures, including new walking tours and shopping specialty literature; $2,100 to finance an indus- try and public awareness program; $3,000 for local advertising and public relations; $5,000 for external promotion. Ald. Brian Tumbull noted the contract was double the $10,900 approved last year, and Aid. Mary Jane Mewhinney maintained that because of the number of organizations promoting the region, "there has to be some duplication." Opposing the cuts were Mayor Marjorie Carroll, Aid. Robert Henry and Ald. Charles Voelker, who argued that the city's attempt to attract more tourists shouldn't be restricted before the effort "gets started." "We're Just staRing to get our share of the tourism dollar, which we haven't gotten in the past," said Cgrroll. - - 7 Aldermen also agreed to set aside $12,500 this year for an independent study into future library needs. Last week, the committee rejected a Waterloo Public Library request for 816,200, which would have been used for a second portable building to house part of the littrary's bollectlon Sap is running. The pancake mix, tents and griddles are ready and a veritable army of at least 1,000 volunteers are standing by. set to swing into action this Saturday for the annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. Anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 people are expected to descend on Elmira this weekend for this, the let annual festival, which is held to raise money for Woolwich Township non-profit organiza- tions. Chtohicle Staff “I can only tell people to come on out and have a good time," said festival chairman Pat McLean. "It's exciting. I've been in Elmira " years now, and I'm always amazed at what a small town like Elmira can put together." _ Festival frequenters, said McLean, will notice a few innova- tions in this year's edition. Of course, pancakes and syrup con- tinue to be the key attractions, but this year they will be served up Canadian Martyr's grade tour student Tina Gajkowski checks out how the sap is running during a visit to the Laurel Creek Nature Centre Monday. mum... photo Festival folk spring to action Ir]]]]]]] from tents in a downtown Mill Street location. "Moving the pancake location is a major change," she explained. "There'll be a big, striped tent, so if it's _raining, people will be covered. And we're going to be serving pancakes all day. so no one should go without their pan- cakes." The ses-portion serving will be $2.50 and people can buy two of the plate-sized tlaNaeks for $3.50. This year, the committee has also introduced a child-sized portion, selling for $1. Other highlights of the festival include: a twtFartd-tt-httif hour bus tour into the Elmira countryside; tours of local sugarbushes; log- sawing. rolling and spike-driving competitions; an arts and crafts show; quarter-mile long mall with booths selling and serving meats, baking, maple _syrup and guilty. _ LIST year die festival' raised 330,000. so per cent of which was given to local groups.