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'Recessionary',budget approved Town tax tô go up. 3.4% Whitby's ortin of the mwiial. tax bill will increase the average urban ratepayer's taxes 3.4 per cent in 1991 Rural residents, .neanwhile -will face a 4.8 per cent tax hike i a .$370.8 million. "receBsioflry" budget approvred 4b Town council last week. The average tax increase, usmng a home assessed at $5,500, wili be $19.25 in Whitby's urban area. Taxes on a simllarly assessed rural residence will increase $23.10 in 1991. Calling it the "tughest budget ever,» councillor Lynda Buffett said the budget reflected current econoiî conditions. * Neyerbefore in history have we slasihed apending to the degree this budget has been reduced,' said Buffett, this year's budget chairman. Buffett said initial budget projections in January threatened a "20 per cent tax hike before the cutting started. *«Ail of these cuts were initia- ted to, ensure the taxpayers ofab t YWhtby were not crippled with M ore a o tthe increases at a time when no one ceuld afford it," said Buffett.. budget on p. 13 Although existing service levels wiii be inaintained, stressed Buffett, a nuinher of a 50 per cent chop in deve- measures were implexnented to lopmnent of new parks, from the keep the increase as low as initial figure of $956e700 te possble. inclded:$480,700; ThOsO Steps nld: * a $500,000 reductien ini coni- * a hiring freezeon ail munici- tributions to the municipality's *pal departments, with the excep- reserve funda. tien àf staff required for the new Perhaps indicative of the effec- recreation ct»nplex on Rossland tive budget-prunxng. don. prior te Rd.; the meeting, was that only one *ý a. 40 per, cent re>duction in attempt, was ýmade during the road imprevement prograrns four-hour session te- trima it from saffs original subniission of $2.5 million to $1,5 -million; SEE PAGE 91 School tax increase 5.6%v Schô'ol 'officially'1 opened MOST IRV. Robert B. Clune to part in cere- mones arking ist week's of ficiai openmg o0.f St. Bernard Cathol eloemenry chool in Whitby Chili Bovie photo By lke Kowalski Public school supporters in Whitby will pay almost $85 more in education taxes this year. Durhamn Board of Education trustees last weelc approved a $338.3 million budget for 1991. Tih. budget, almost $30 million more than 1990's, represents an average miii rate increase of 6.9 * ************~************.~**.~*****,****..*.,*† « ...'. vicie I~UIESmEUPMU>\5N~U ImTIiflnln g Ré MikoKNowald Eliminating Whitby's-specid l f arbage pick-up wl mean more trash inrua areas, Town couCIl bas been warned. Several ceuncllors outlined this scenarie during last week's 1991 budget meeting. In fact, the preblem of illegal dumpng of gr=age parked the nly heated exchnge f -Councilior J e ugel raised the matter during discussion of the public works deatenes budget. ud a o e Bugelli asked whether ce ii hdntagree last year te do away ýwith the annual fal pick-up of large household items snd keep unly the - al srin garagecollection. thespeciAsig 'ta ohwr Mayor BéAtterslg e he.ta bt vr retained but that the faI service is te b. reviewed. (Last year counicil agreed te continue twioe-yeary pick-ups of large items suchi as furniture snd appliances. (However, people who oeil for a special pick-up of heavy items at other tinies of the yelar are charged a fee.) Councilor Joe Drurnm said if council was prepared te eliminate the fali service it màuat accmpt the consequences. "Ift's bappeninr4 now across the region, peoplo are dumping their garbage on country reds, said Drumm. "If we take eut the faI l ean-up well bave even more problems," added Drumm. Wbile coumeillor Marcel Brunelle said any svnagained from chopping the fail pick-up wlb.offset by works staff having te remove illegalydumpedarbage. flh6g B ueli feit tougher littering bylaws would solve the probiem, Drumm did net tbink this would work. 'W. cant enforce what w. have now," said Drumm. Councillor Boss Batten said worrying about people "dumping gar)Xage ail over the municipaity isine answer at ail." "People should b. responsible for their own gabg, people should b.e prepared te, pay o their garbae te b. piclced up by the Town," said Batten. Counciller Dennis Fox disagreed. Tee le are not receptive te the idea cf paying for gar e.. if you want 'te see what happens cerne te the eaat ward," said Fox. Creek vralleys and road ides in the ward are strewn with refuse, said Fox. He said educating the pblic about its resposibilities shouldbe triedubefore any new policiest or byiaws are passed. But Batten was flrmhly epposed. illi"Yir th public is ne îanswer o at al," shoute Btten, "W cant keep igneringth problem."è Although h. was net in faveur of 1ayng the M ublie "Bruel did net want a clâmf own on egl umin 1without provi an per cent or aprproximately $85 to puli school supporters acros DranRegion.' In VWhitby, the average in- crease will b. slightly less at 5.6 per7 cent. The' single-digit increase, the lowes4 since 1984, bucks the dou- ble-diit hikes of recent years. Last yearls figure was 14 per cent. Acccrding te board chairinan Ian Brown, the budget reflects today'* economic climat. "I tbink w. did the best we could under the circumstances,'» said Brown. "'frustees heard ýwhat rate- payera are saying. They said cut mnto isting programs if you 'have to, net just areas cf pro- posed enhancements.» Staffing levels, transportation and copimunications were among the areas affected by spending cuts,' said Brown. He said the streamlined docu- ment ýaay b. indicative of future budes «Ismense it's the beginining cf a new týend unless the economy becemês buoyant again,» said Brown, a Whiitby trustee. "Hdwe cut much deeper,, w. would h2ave jeopardized the qua- lil ofobur programs.» Iighlights of the budein clude: * buâ~ transportation for sum- mer* sehool students will b. éli- minated; * a 50 per cent reduction in bus runs used te transport grade 7 and 8 students te schools with famiiy studies and design tech- nology classes (other alterna- tives, such as students spending haif a semester in on. school and haif *in another will have te b.e considered, said Brown); * the board's - maintenance budge4 will b. beld te 1990 levels1 SEEPAGE2 1~ - - - - - - - - - -