Page 2. Whltby Fréee Pros, Wednesýday, MA&ýi~ 13, 1996 Witty: By Mikw owalsld DurhamRgintaxpaen have te, dig deeper int wallets if they wa nt te keep streets safe from crime. A one pr cent hiko in ham's portion of the propert bill may ho necessary te pi a réduction in the numb uniored ~lice fficers, R chair Jmi Wittyteld Townt cil Monday. Howover, al other ave will be explored before reg Witty's blunt warningi psible tax increaso came img a aget .cqaited" es han beenholding with Iloall cils 'since becoming Dur, Rgion chair asat December. .Te former Ajaxi aor elected Durham's third chair lowing the Novembor deat] Gary Herrema. 'Tm here te tell you thal Region is alivo and well, Tax hke neded keep çcops 01obùba mmay their itheir iDur- ty tax revent oer of tegion coun- enuos fional oliti- Witty of a dur- on ho coun- ham was .r fol- h ofd tthe but there are two areas that I want to focus on,» said Witty, mention- ing the impact of fundling cuts 4y th e Ontario goveriment and the future of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Witty said Durhamn officiais are «scramblinç to offset the los of $8 million ini provincial transfera ents from 1995us figure of $22.5 million. As a result of the province 's bet-tighteningr,the three options facing relonal council are reduc- mg servies,, introducing user fees and a tax fincrease, Witty said. "Whatever happens, I can assure you that will h our last resort h le said of the latter,"<but I think it will ho necessary. For instance, the Region is limited as to what user -fees it could imp>os since it does not offer services such as libraries or recreational facilities that lend themselves to the concept, Witty 'rnaed that the police tradi- Aressaftrbakrohbery Police have arrestod two men wero arrested Mopndayi Toronto in connection with the Feb. 23 after a joint investgation by obryof the-downtown Whitby Metro Tonte, and Dra Bnkof Nova Scotia. police. Scott Jack Murney, 27, and p Murnoy as also charged with Ronald'Dint, 28, bothi of Ajax, thre obries in Toronto. tionally provided escort services for funerals at no charge but this practice han beon abanAoned due to increased costs. Inmkng te agument for a tai hiko, Witty said a one per cent increase in rogional taxes would amount to $1 million which'would more than cover the cost of the 28 constables hired by the egon last year. Ona$3,000 property tax bill, of which 20 pe cent ot Durham, this translates mnto $6 te prevent the «termination» of those 28 positions, Witty said. "I, think the majority of (regional) council will support a tax increase equal te it," he said.* "And I think it's safe te say the vast majoritY of people are wil- ling te pay $6 more te keep these officers on the street." Aftor regional councillor Gerry Emm noted *that Durham has about $190 million in roserve funds, Witty was urgdý by regional councillor M arcel Brunelle te explai why that source of money cannot be tap- ped. * "I know my phone always rings whon this cornes up,» said Brunelle. Although ho did not have the «fsots and figures» before him, Wittysaid Most of reserve funds; are«tedup in three or four areas» and have te be used expressly for those purposes. 'or example, about $17 million in set aside for wsste manage- Nuisance charge laid million for water and sewers, Wittysaid. Other revenue cornes fromn developmoent charges and can only be used for roads, lhe added. .Turning hie attention te the GTA7ý Witty commended council for. its decision te survey the opinions of Whitby residents on the controversial Golden Tank Force report (ame sparate stery). Although he ins oppose& to much of wvhat is contained in the document, Witty admitted that Golden has forcedmunicipâlities te look at how te deliver services in a more efficient manner and te eliminate duplication. "Seeing a regional snowplow and a local snowplow at the saineintersection in not nocess- A 34-year-old Whitby woman out on bail after being charged withmakn usance 911 calîs was rretedagain for the same offence Thursday. Police switcbard operators who roceîved numerous nuisance and harassing calls that day, including at least one bomib throat, traced them te, two pay phones across from their Centre Street, Oshawa headquarters building. After receiving another cal around 4:10 p.m., Staff Serçeant Sandy Ryrie, who was in a nearby building, was alertod, looke out a window and saw a woman at one of the pay phonos. Ryrie, thoeorvice's media rela- tions officer, ran , acroos the streot and, after a short chase,, srrested a. suspect on Centre near Bond Street. Janet Curran, 34, of Chestniut St., was charge with convoying a falso message, makin hairase- ing phone cals sand miscief. Curran was arrested Feb. 29 and charged wih making 78 nuisance 911 calîs ina a si-Our period but had boon freod on Youthslashed court April 1. Every caîl to 911 is taken seriously and has te be investi~- ted, notes Ryrie, even if tMhe operator suspects it's a prank or the caller hang up - and that slows down police response time A Whitby teen faces an aggra- vated assault- charge after another Whitby youth ýwas slashed at an Ajax house party Saturday. Police say the victim, a 16- yeer-old Frost Drive teen, wae, tslking on the phono around 11-20p.m. when hie back was slashd «fr no apparent reason.» Twofieeale ingHosital for treatiiiont of a 1inch gash on hie back , six inches of which had te be'stit- ch.d, police say.« Hia condition was described as serious but not life threatoning. ie assilant fled on foot but was arrested nearby by -police a short time later, with kirfe stili in hand. A 17-yesr-old .rosident was chargod with aggravated assault. *beak.in at residence Awalcened by the barking of hie two doge, a Rtesolute Crescont resident scared off two suspects who had broken into his house. Police- say the man w 'ent te check on wat was causing the commotion around' 4:15 a.m. Sunday after hearing a noise in hie basement. On t he way back upetairs te check on the well-boinag of hie children, the man spotted two male youths standing at the cor- ner of Rutledge -and Resolute looking mnte a vehicle, he says. Ho watched as the two walked back to the hous" and stood'in the drivewaY, Hall Baye, but fled, north on Resoluto when he turned some lights on. The two suspects are descioed as white agd 18 te,2o,and wearing cr othing. One was wearing a basebaîl cap and the other had haï, that was shaved on tho sides. Nothing appared te ho taken. Police are is mnvestigating. Tir, CÀN.Mel£ Mýý- - - -