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Inside Year 142, Issue 30

Thursday, January 31, 2013 • 44 pages

www.yourottawaregion.com

Miniscule rise in county taxes Steve Newman steve.newman@metroland.com

Local Liberal delegates get their choice as Wynne wins. – Page 3 –

Bruce Firestone will be guest speaker at the Chamber breakfast next month. – Page 7 –

The Renfrew Firefighters hosted their annual ice fishing derby Saturday. – Page 36 –

Renfrew County staff projected a 2.8 per cent increase in the tax levy heading into its Jan. 23 and 24 budget workshop. But with the workshop completed, county council had whittled the increase down to 2.0 per cent. Those numbers delighted Warden Peter Emon, who chaired the two-day workshop with Admaston-Bromley Mayor Raye-Anne Briscoe. Factoring in real assessment growth of 1.8 per cent, the actual tax levy impact for the county’s 2013 budget will be an increase of 0.2 per cent. The increase means the levy will increase by $709,037 over the 2012 levy, bringing county taxes levied in 2013 to $36,052,253. This increase will come forward for approval at council Jan. 30. The Renfrew County portion of the tax bill will rise less than a dollar for a house that was assessed at $100,000 in 2012 and rose the average county assessment of 1.9 per cent in 2013, to $101,900. That homeowner’s county tax bill of $367.43 will rise only 73 cents, to $368.16. “I think all of county council was pretty satisfied,” said Emon after his first budget workshop as county warden. Emon, who was acclaimed warden in December, said he was particularly satisfied the budget won’t mean compromised services to Renfrew County residents. The one exception may be the homelessness portfolio, which will have a shortfall in government funding of about $395,790. Child care services will also have a shortfall, of

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$395,091, but a four-year government mitigation grant will decrease this year’s actual childcare shortfall to $90,000. As social services director Dave Anderson said the first day of the budget workshop: “It will probably mean servicing more people with less money.” SEVERAL BUDGET CUTS

To pare the county’s tax levy down to 2.0 per cent, county council found savings of $234,514, primarily with the following moves: • not approving the creation of a supervisor for Arnprior’s new Ontario Works office; • reducing capital reserves from the county to the Renfrew County Housing Corporation; • reducing the amount of scratch coat work on roads by about $50,000, but while providing the same amount of scratch coating as in 2012; • reducing contributions to paramedic reserves by $100,000 (still leaving $2.4 million in those reserves); and • cancelling $10,000 in renovations for the Lake Street provincial offences office in Pembroke. Emon says he’s pleased with the budget because it’s fiscally responsible, keeping taxes low, improving the quality of road infrastructure and not reducing the quality of county services. The budget also allows the county to maintain a reasonable level of reserves, at about 20 per cent of the county’s overall operating budget, when the provincial government recommends at least 15 per cent. See BUDGET, page 6

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Frew Fest a huge success Madison Foran, 10, shows off her Frew Fest face. By all accounts, Renfrew Winter Frew Fest 2013 at the Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre, was a huge success. From the horse-drawn sleigh rides and vintage sled show to the marshmallow roast and fireworks, the carnival had something for everyone and plenty of people were out to enjoy the variety of events. “It was definitely a successful event,” said recreation program director Jo-anne Caldwell. “Our numbers were much higher than expected, which is a wonderful thing. We were fortunate to have a lovely day with the sun shining.” The Renfrew Firefighters ice fishing derby, held in conjunction with the carnival, was also a well-attended event.

Crossing guards get first pay hike in six years Steve Newman steve.newman@metroland.com

School-crossing guards working at six different Renfrew locations are receiving raises. Their first raises in six years were approved by Renfrew council Monday night. At present, most of the wages are paid by the Town of Renfrew, except those staffing the crossing on Raglan Street South, near St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School.

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Costs for that crossing are shared 50-50 with the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board. The public board doesn’t contribute to the wages for staff at the other five locations, which are located closest to Central Public School and Queen Elizabeth Public School. The Renfrew County District School Board used to contribute to those wages until about 15 years ago, but Renfrew clerk Kim Bulmer

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says the board will be asked to share the cost. The five intersections that are closest to the public schools include these three near Queen Elizabeth Public School — Hall Avenue and Barr Street; west- and eastbound crossings on Veterans Memorial Boulevard; and Hall Avenue, Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Raglan Street, which many local residents refer to as Confusion Corner. See CROSSING, page 2

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