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09 | 14 | 2017 VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 37
A DAY TO FOCUS ON THE GREAT OUTDOORS SPORTS PAGE 13
COMMENT PAGE 6
WYNNE SELF-SERVING WITH MARIJUANA PLAN
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
A bird’s eye-to-eye view in Elmira
Celebrations were held last Friday at Chartwell Elmira Retirement Residence for Grandparents Day, with a petting zoo and refreshments for the whole community.
Woolwich councillors at odds over tax-rate target as 2018 budget talks get underway STEVE KANNON SPLIT ON A TENTATIVE 2018 tax-rate increase of 1.8 per cent, Woolwich councillors want more options before setting a target when budget deliberations get underway later this year. They were agreed, however, on slapping an additional 1.5 per cent hike on next year’s property taxes to boost a special infrastructure reserve fund,
in keeping with recent practice. Also on the table is a plan to dedicate half of next year’s assessment growth – additional money from new homes and other development – to that same reserve fund. Tuesday night’s initial debate on a budget timeline proposed by staff centered on the proposed baseline tax increase of 1.8 per cent, in line with inflation figures expected for
next year. That jump would bring in an additional $175,500 in revenue, while the infrastructure increase would net about $146,000, explained director of finance Richard Petherick. Coun. Larry Shantz balked at the combined 3.3 per cent increase. His reservations were shared by Coun. Patrick Merlihan, who proposed scaling back BUDGET | 4
[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]
Warning sirens on the agenda as Wellesley council reviews last month’s tornado incident FAISAL ALI WELLESLEY TOWNSHIP IS LOOKING at installing warning sirens in the wake of a tornado that hit the Hawkesville area last month. The follow-up review of the situation was part of Tuesday night’s council meeting in Crosshill. Responding to resident concerns, officials discussed various measures
for alerting the public. According to a report prepared by Wellesley fire chief Paul Redman, the township does have an emergency alert system in place that notifies the public through television and radio. There is also work being done with the Region of Waterloo to include automatic telephone warnings as well, similar to the community alert network in place in neighbouring
Woolwich Township. Officials have concerns, however, about the limitations of a phone-based notification system given its dependency on technology. “Many of our townships residents do not have telephones, computers and televisions let alone power in their homes,” reads the report. The emergency sirens, SIRENS | 2