Hawkesbury
Reprieve for BIA
to the municipality. The commission also
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
has a lease with the Centre de services à
protests
H AWKESBURY
l’emploi de Prescott-Russell. The deal on a
piece of land beside Place des Pionniers is in
effect until August 31, 2015.
The Hawkesbury Downtown Business
The fate of the organization has been
Improvement Area Commission has
"obsolete"
sketchy since the fall when Roger Charest
received a reprieve, at least for a few
and Marielle Charlebois presented a petition
months.
calling for end of the commission. Town
Four business people have come forward
council did not act on the petition because it
to sit as members of the BIA board, which for
police
was not presented in the proper format.
the past two months has consisted of three
In late December, three BIA directors quit
town council members.
after the town cancelled its $120,000 annual
The future of the organization, which
contribution to the Société de development
was formed in 1985, seemed bleak following
billing
commercial et touristique de Hawkesbury.
a recent meeting where only 15 people
The board of directors also quit and closed
showed up and not one volunteered to fill a
its office at La Maison de l’île. The money
board position. However, after that session,
Richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
had been used to pay the salaries of two
Corey Assaly, Larry Bogue, Jacques Tardif
H AWKESBURY
employees who worked for the Society, the
and Reno Viola, offered to join the board.
BIA and the Chamber of Commerce.
The first functions of the new directors
Denis Charlebois, who was president of
will be to receive the BIA’s 2010 financial
There ought to be a law against an
the society and the BIA, Marcel Laviolette
report and adopt a budget for 2011, says
“obsolete” and “unfair” police billing
and Marc Boucher quit in late December;
Councillor Michel Thibodeau, who
system that penalizes towns that are forced
Bernadette Blais had stepped down in
represents the town on the commission.
to foot the entire bill for Ontario Provincial
October. The resignations left Thibodeau as
At the same time, the commission must
Police services.
Photo Richard Mahoney
the only BIA board member. With the arrival
also deal with a strong movement to dissolve
Councillor Marc Tourangeau expects that
That is the case Hawkesbury and other
of the four new board members, Councillors
the group.
Hawkesbury council members “will not
Ontario municipalities are presenting in
Johanne Portelance and Marc Tourangeau,
At Monday’s council meeting, Thibodeau
make any friends” with budget cuts.
an effort to reduce their shares of O.P.P.
who had been named by council to help
recommended that the status quo be
Police bills.
Thibodeau form a temporary BIA board,
maintained until at least the BIA’s 2010
Under the Ontario Police Services Act,
Back to the
have withdrawn. Last year, the commission
auditor’s report was presented. The town
Hawkesbury is required to pay 100 per cent
collected $98,150 in taxes on 172 properties
ought to also levy on BIA members taxes
of the $4 million it will pays this year for
in the downtown area. Members on Main
sufficient to pay off any BIA debts, Thibodeau
services provided by the O.P.P. detachment.
Street pay $575 in dues while members in
added.
drawing
However, other municipalities in Prescott
other parts of the zone pay $250.
As of December 31, the BIA owed $26,227
County, served by the same detachment,
receive provincial grants to help offset
policing expenses because they fall under a
board
Superintendent
different section of the Act.
“The system is obsolete and should no
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
longer be applied,” contends Mayor René
of School
Berthiaume.
H AWKESBURY
The billing method is becoming a more
critical issue as costs continue to rise,
Some difficult decisions face
increasing by about 12 per cent in 2011.
Effectiveness
Hawkesbury council members as they try
This year, the O.P.P. is adding $442,000 to
to chop proposed spending and avoid a
its bill, which last year was $3.5 million.
newsroom@eap.on.ca
huge tax increase this year.
Police protection cost Hawkesbury taxpayers
“We are going back to the drawing board,”
K EMPTVILLE
about $3.2 million in 2009, $2,987,739 in 2008
Mayor René Berthiaume said during a
and $2,955,148 in 2007.
discussion of the 2011 municipal budget last
The price is not negotiable, chief
The Catholic District School Board of
week. Based on the figures presented at that
administrator and treasurer Normand
Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) has appointed
meeting, property taxes would increase by
Beaulieu reminded council during a budget
Charlotte Rouleau to the position of
11 per cent. “There is no way we can accept
discussion last week.
Superintendent of School Effectiveness.
such an increase,” the mayor stated.
Berthiaume notes that the system hits
Rouleau, now the CDSBEO’s Principal of
“We have to make some big cuts” in
hard municipalities that once had their own
Curriculum, has served as a school principal
proposed spending in order to avert a large
constabularies.
and teacher in the Catholic school system.
tax hike, added Councillor Marc
"This is
Director of Education William Gartland,
Tourangeau. “We are not going to make any
stated, “Mrs. Rouleau’s diverse background
friends with these decisions.”
an anomaly."
and wealth of experience has prepared her
Council members want to freeze the tax
Charlotte Rouleau
Since 1999, when the town’s municipal
well to serve the needs of our Catholic school
rate and to limit the tax bill increase to the
National Intensive French Network, and the
force was absorbed by the O.P.P., the
communities. She is dedicated to serving the
rise in property values or the rate of inflation.
French as a Second Language Provincial
municipality has had a service agreement
students and families of the Catholic District
This objective is feasible, said chief
Working Committee, among others.
with the provincial force. While that
School Board of Eastern Ontario. I am very
administrator and treasurer Normand
She has been with the CDSBEO and
agreement assures a certain level of service
pleased to welcome this outstanding Catholic
Beaulieu, if council is prepared to reduce
worked in Catholic education for more than
for the town, it also brings a hefty price tag.
educator to our Senior Administration team.”
services.
30 years.
“This is an anomaly. It doesn’t make sense
As Principal of Curriculum, Rouleau has
Councillor Michel Thibodeau observed
The Catholic District School Board of
that Hawkesbury pays 100 per cent of police
played a vital role in curriculum
that members needed more details before
Eastern Ontario operates 40 elementary and
costs while the municipalities next door get
development. Gartland said, “Mrs.
they could make an informed decision. “If
10 secondary schools across eight counties.
grants,” says Berthiaume.
Rouleau’s leadership has been a key
necessary, we will cut,” he said.
Enrolment is about 13,500.
Traditionally, 60 per cent of the calls
component in the positive increase in student
Council agrees that all possible options
handled by the detachment have come from
achievement. The initiatives she has helped
ought to be explored in the pursuit of higher
Hawkesbury, while the balance originates
to develop and implement are clearly
Dances for Peace
revenues and lower expenses.
from Alfred-Plantagenet, Champlain, East
showing results. This is a testament to Mrs.
The administration has been asked to
nouvelles@eap.on.ca
Hawkesbury and a part of The Nation.
Rouleau and the curriculum team and their
provide reports on differed revenues, capital
Bring your dancing shoes to the Arbor
Hawkesbury’s police fees rise
ongoing efforts to achieve success for all
costs and debts. “I need more information
automatically when O.P.P. salaries rise,
students.”
Gallery, 36 Home Avenue, Vankleek Hill,
on the overall financial situation of the town.
observes Berthiaume.
Rouleau brings a wide variety of
March 12 at 7:30 p.m. to take part in Dances
I am not at ease with the picture we have
The town is joining other towns in similar
leadership experience to the role. She has
of Universal Peace, led by Pat Kerr.
now and I am not comfortable with the
situations to submit their argument to the
implemented a board-wide Ontario Writing
For further information, call 613-678-5086
proposed tax hike,” said Berthiaume.
province. Glengarry-Prescott-RussellLiberal
Assessment for teachers, the Intensive French
Councillor Johanne Portelance suggested
or visit www.vankleekhill.ca/events.
M.P.P. Jean-Marc Lalonde has expressed his
program in seven schools, and has led
the municipality dip into its reserves.
“Participating in the Dances of Universal
support for the lobbying effort, relates
workshops marking an increase in
While there is some wiggle room, Beaulieu
Peace, a synergy of movement and sacred
Berthiaume. “He had encouraged us to do
collaborative networking and professional
cautioned that the town will still have to pay
sound, creates for me hope of peace in a
this,” he remarks.
dialogue.
some large fixed costs.
fractured world, direct meaningful
The association of police boards is
Rouleau has served as a keynote speaker
For example, the Ontario Provincial Police
connection with others and the inspiration
organizing the lobbying campaign. The
on several occasions, discussing curriculum
is increasing its bill by $442,000, or about 12
of fun in joyful community,” says Kerr.
Association of Municipalities of Ontario is
initiatives and sharing best practices.
per cent more than the $3.5 million it charged
She was drawn to and began dancing the
also raising concerns about policing costs.
Rouleau’s commitment to education
last year. “There is little we can do about
Dances of Universal Peace about five years
As Councillor André Chamaillard said at
stretches beyond the borders of the CDSBEO,
that,” he advised council.
ago with a group in Ottawa.
a meeting last week, this is a good time to put
as she continues to serve on regional,
Last year, the owner of a $100,000 in town
For two years, she has been an apprentice
pressure on provincial politicians as they
provincial and national committees. She is a
paid $1,887 in taxes, a slight drop from the
prepare for the campaign leading up to the
valued member of the Eastern Ontario
leader with her mentors, dance leaders Bob
$1,911 bill imposed on the same residence in
October 6 provincial elections.
Catholic Curriculum Cooperative, the
and Marlene Neufeld.
2009.
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