ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
Mayors hope for no more downloads in provincial budget gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Prescott-Russell municipalities and counties have to take over any more social program costs.
Roads Association conference. “We heard some good news that uploading of some services will continue,” St-Amour said. The down side of the provincial budget may concern infrastructure aid. St-Amour notedthatsomegovernmentofficialshinted there may be further reductions in funding assistance as the province tightens its own fiscal belt. “But there’s still nothing definite there,” he said. What St-Amour would like to see, as the mayor of a large rural community, is a sign that the province will make real changes to the current farm tax formula or at least
provide some extra funds in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grants to ru- ral municipalities to compensate. “But I don’t see any increase there,” he said. “Still, it’s a game of wait and see.” Over next door to The Nation, Mayor Jean-Yves Lalonde of Alfred-Plantagenet Township also hopes that maybe the pro- vincial government might change its mind about reducing infrastructure assistance this year. “I hope not to see something that would stopusfromkeepinguponourownwork,” Lalonde said. “I would like to see a conti- nuation of some help from the province with our infrastructure.” Clarence-Rockland Mayor Marcel Guibord was on vacation. Chief Adminis- trative Officer Pierre Tessier listed continued assistance with vital infrastruc- ture improvements as one of the top local priorities for this year’s provincial budget. He noted that the municipality’s 2012 budget has a focus on safety and security with expansion and improvement planned for Rockland fire station and priority given to either rehab work or plans for future upgrades to three city bridges. “Those are all very expensive items,” he said. “We have some major hurdles to overcome just with catching up on the infrastructure.” Tessier also noted that assurance of funds for future expansion of the highway link between Rockland and Orléans once the environmental assessment review is done would also be a comfort. Keep education a provincial priority say If there is no new money in the provincial budget for education then at least let there not be any less money this year. That is the hope for officials for the two main English language school districts in the region. GordonGreffe, associate director for the Catholic School District of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO), observed that the provincial government is facing a large deficit situa- tion with its budget planning this year. How that will play out for education funding he won’t speculate but he does hope it won’t result in bad news. “We are watching very carefully how it (ministry budget) will impact students and staff,” Greffe said during a phone inter- view March 16. “We’re just waiting to see how they (province) will address it.” David Thomas, education director for the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB), is taking a more optimistic view of the situation. He noted that McGuinty has worked hard during his past terms to Ontario’s “education premier” and to make students a top priority with infras- tructure aid for school districts and trying to ensure there are no labour disruptions during school terms. “We have enjoyed a special status,” Thomas said. “I don’t see him turning his back on our sector or thinking he’s done enough.” Even with budget restraint, Thomas indicated there may still be room for some “tinkering on the margins” of education needs in the province. One thing he and otheradministratorsintheeducationsector would like to see is some kind of four-year cycle of assured basic education funding rather than the present year-by-year setup. “I’m hoping we see predictable funding,” he said, adding that would then make budget planning for school districts much easier. school board reps gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Eastern Ontario
“I just hope they don’t come up with any more downloading,” he said. “I hope they keep their promise on that, and maybe start uploading some things. I do wish they could also provide us with more infrastruc- ture funding.” François St-Amour, who is both mayor for The Nation and this year’s warden of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) expressed some optimism about the current social program cost burden for municipal and county governments. His hope stems from talks with provincial ministers during the recent Ontario Good
No new program costs from the province and at least keep the municipal support grant at its present level. Those are the hopes of some of the mayors and other city officials in Prescott-Russell as the day for the provincial budget announcement draws near. “I’m hoping to see we maintain our existing (provincial) funding for municipalities,” said Mayor Jean-Paul St. Pierre of Russell Township. “That’s significant for us.” What he hopes the provincial budget report will not contain is a suggestion that
0 % 84 FINANCING FOR UP TO
RIGHT NOW GET
MONTHS
ON SELECTED MODELS Ω
Limited model shown
ELANTRASEDAN 2012CANADIAN AND NORTH AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENT $ 103 † OWN IT
FINANCING FOR 84 MONTHS 1.9 % WITH
DOWN PAYMENT $ 0 AND SELLINGPRICE: $17,380 ʕ ELANTRA L 6-SPEED. DELIVERY,DESTINATION AND FEES INCLUDED. PLUSHST.
20 SAVE UNTIL2013 Ω
HIGHWAY 4.9 L/100KM 58 MPG ʈ
$ 93 † OWN IT
0 % WITH
DOWN PAYMENT $ 0 AND
SELLINGPRICE: $16,830 ʕ INCLUDES $500 FACTORY TODEALERCREDIT ‡ ELANTRA TOURING L 5-SPEED.DELIVERY, DESTINATION& FEES INCLUDED. PLUSHST.
25 SAVE UNTIL2013 Ω
HIGHWAY 6.4 L/100KM 44 MPG ʈ
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENT INCLUDES $500 FACTORY TODEALERCREDIT ‡
FINANCING FOR 84 MONTHS
ELANTRATOURING Spirit & practicality in perfect balance
2012
GLS model shown
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENT $ 135 † OWN IT
0 % WITH
DOWN PAYMENT $ 0 AND
SELLINGPRICE: $24,400 ʕ SONATAGL 6-SPEED. DELIVERY,DESTINATION & FEES INCLUDED. PLUSHST.
25 SAVE UNTIL2013 Ω
HIGHWAY 5.7 L/100KM 50 MPG ʈ
FINANCING FOR 84 MONTHS
SONATA Most fuel-efficient full-size car ʆ
2012
Limited model shown
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENT $ 143 † OWN IT
0 % WITH
DOWN PAYMENT $ 0 AND
SELLINGPRICE: $25,895 ʕ
SANTA FEGL 2.4 6-SPEED. DELIVERY,DESTINATION & FEES INCLUDED. PLUSHST.
30 SAVE UNTIL2013 Ω
HIGHWAY 7.7 L/100KM 37 MPG ʈ
FINANCING FOR 84 MONTHS
Powerful & efficient – the true definition of a cross-over SANTA FE 2012
Limited model shown
SELLINGPRICE: $33,895 ʕ INCLUDES $1,500 FACTORYTO CUSTOMERCREDIT ◊ VERACRUZGL FWD. DELIVERY,DESTINATION & FEES INCLUDED. PLUSHST.
BI-WEEKLY PAYMENT INCLUDES $1,500 FACTORY TO CUSTOMERCREDIT ◊ $ 187 † OWN IT
0 % WITH
DOWN PAYMENT $ 0 AND
40 UNTIL2013 Ω SAVE
HIGHWAY 8.5 L/100KM 33 MPG ʈ
FINANCING FOR 84 MONTHS
VERACRUZ 2012 “It’s a seven-seater, mid-size SUV with serious cargo and people-carrying capacity.” – the Globe and Mail
GLS model shown
5-year/100,000 km Comprehensive Limited Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Powertrain Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Emission Warranty
HyundaiCanada.com
PAPERTO INSERT DEALERTAG HERE
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker