35 Howard Avenue, ELMIRA, ON
NEED WINTER TIRES?
519-669-3232
WE’VE GOT YOUR TIRES!
01 | 19 | 2017 VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 03
ETC GOES WEST FOR LAUGHS IN LATEST OFFERING ARTS PAGE 14
COMMENT PAGE 6
COUNCILS NEED TO FOCUS ON THE ACTUAL PUBLIC GOOD
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
Freezing rain makes area roads treacherous for drivers Freezing rain and below-zero temperatures were the culprit when a fuel tanker slipped off the road, onto its side, at Ament Line and Lavery Road just outside of Linwood. Emergency services were called to the scene just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The tanker was eventually returned to the road, but only after the Ministry of Environment joined the efforts, emptying the tanker of its contents. [LIZ BEVAN / THE OBSERVER]
Woolwich currently targeting 3.55% tax hike Councillors currently in budget deliberations start out with 2.05% tax levy, plus an additional 1.5% for infrastructure STEVE KANNON THE AVERAGE WOOLWICH TAXPAYER will be hit up for another $28 under planned increases in spending this year. In the first of their 2017 public budget sessions, councillors identified spending requiring a base tax increase of 2.05 per cent plus another 1.5 per cent for a special infrastructure fund. The pro-
jected tax increase is based on a residential property valued at $340,000. Overall, the township plans to spend $15.9 million in its operating budget and another $19 million for capital projects. Meeting Jan. 12, councillors made a few small tweaks to shave a couple of dollars off the tax increase, but made no changes or reference to the underlying operation of the municipal
government. Staff costs, up 46 per cent in the last decade alone – to $7 million in 2017 from $4.8 million in 2008 – proved the liveliest topic with a proposal to add two new positions, in part drawing on the township’s infrastructure fund. Staff’s call for the addition of an infrastructure development coordinator at a salary of $62,582 to $76,320 and a development charges project supervisor
($75,375-$91,920) met with resistance from Coun. Patrick Merlihan, who noted the process could taint the special infrastructure levy. He warned the public would feel “betrayed” if the money collected in the special levy was seen as going into staff operating costs. “It’s a slippery slope at this juncture. That’s not how it was sold to the public,” he said, noting the
WELL-EQUIPPED FROM
26,997
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get is discussed next week. In last week’s session, council gave tentative approval to some of the smaller department budgets, including the chief administrative officer, council and information services, finance and the fire department. A second public budget session is planned for this evening (Thursday) at 6 p.m. at the township administration building.
optics would be bad. “I really don’t want anything to taint that fund.” Coun. Mark Bauman, however, countered that infrastructure projects bring costs beyond simply the price of asphalt, for instance. People are needed to get the work done, he said. The topic was dropped, however, to be revisited when the engineering and planning department bud-
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LEASE PAYMENT FOR 24 MONTHS* $3,902 DOWN 0.9% LEASE RATE **
Make the most of your snow days with the all-weather performance and safety of Subaru Symmetrical Full-Time All-Wheel Drive. **MSRP of $24,995 on 2017 Crosstrek Touring 5MT(HX1TP). Lease rate of (0.9%) for (24) months. Monthly payment is ($278) with ($3,902) down payment. Option to purchase at end of lease is ($12,181) with ($4,716) due on signing. Advertised pricing consists of MSRP plus charges for Freight/PDI ($1,675) Air Conditioning Charge ($100), Tire Stewardship Levy ($17.75), OMVIC Fee ($10), Dealer Admin ($199). Freight/PDI charge includes a full tank of gas. Taxes, license, registration and insurance are extra. $0 security deposit. Model shown: 2017 Crosstrek Limited Package CVT w/ tech(HX2LPE) with an MSRP of $32,295. Dealers may sell or lease for less or may have to order or trade. Offers applicable on approved credit at participating dealers only. Lease based on a maximum of (20,000 km/year for 24 months), with excess charged at $0.10/km. Leasing and financing programs available through Subaru Financial Services by TCCI. Other lease and finance rates and terms available; down payment or equivalent trade-in may be required. Vehicles shown solely for purposes of illustration, and may not be equipped exactly as shown. Offers available until January 31st, 2017. See your local Subaru dealer for complete program details.**See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. See your local Subaru dealer for complete details.t www.iihs.org for testing methods.
26 Manitou Drive, Kitchener, ON | Tel: (519) 894-2050 | www.geminimotors.com