Review-Mirror

The Upper Canada Dis- trict School Board of Trustees will host a public meeting to receive the final set of recommenda- tions contained in the Final Staff Report of the Building for the Future Pupil Accommodation Review Feb. 15. The final report will be received by the Board at North Grenville District High School on 2605 Con- cession Road, Kemptville at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting will be open to the public and the media. In the event of inclement weather, an alternate meeting date will be posted. The meeting will be livestreamed by the Board on the UCTV network at: https://livestream.com/uct v/boardmeeting. The Board will make final decisions about its accommodation review on March 23 at a Special Board Meeting scheduled at North Grenville District High School, which will be open to the public and will also be livestreamed for viewing. The decision affect 29 schools across the Board, including Rideau Centen- nial in Portland which could close in June. Sweets Corners' future is also up in the air but no closure date is imminent. The Township of Rideau Lakes passed the 2017 budget at their coun- cil meeting on Monday, raising taxes 1.85 per cent. Taxpayers should be getting more good news at the end of the month when the United Counties of Leeds Grenville (UCLG) is anticipated to pass their budget which will be lim- iting the county portion to two per cent. County council's bud- get deliberations were completed at a Counties meeting last Thursday with the document to be passed Feb. 23. The United Counties increase was reduced after a $680,000 cut in public works improvements in North Crosby, which Rideau Lakes Mayor Ron Holman proposed could be postponed. "If the education rate stays the same we could have a less than two per cent overall increase in the tax rate," said Mayor Hol- man. Road improvements had been planned for a stretch of Cty. Rd. 36 from six kilometers north of Westport to the Lanark border. Holman's offer includ- ed putting the project at the top of the list for next year or if they get a wind- fall of new infrastructure funding. The counties real growth through develop- ment buffered the $118,000 loss in taxation through lower market assessment across the board. During the first year of a four-year phase-in of new market values, municipalities lose all of that taxation. Thursday, February 9, 2017 Serving North Leeds and area since 1893 Vol. 126, No. 5 $1incl. tax Canada Post Contract No. 40021501 Cty. Rd. 36 work postponed to reduce United Counties' levy Rideau Lakes' passes 1.85 per cent increase for 2017 This group was giving it their all during the tug of war at Frostfest Saturday. Photo by Margaret Brand 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 43 Bedford St., Westport 613-273-8848 soho@rideau.net UCDSB trustees to receive final staff report on school closings Wednesday Christine Jennings, Owner 20 Whelan St., Westport, Ontario 613-273-9800 Full Service Dog Grooming Salon Mirror The Review By Howie Crichton The Review-Mirror Westport Council had another stab at the 2017 budget Monday night and got down to business, trimming close over $60,000 in an attempt to get the tax increase for the operating budget down to around three per cent. After the regular busi- ness meeting, council spent close to two hours whittling down expenses with another round of deliberations planned for Feb. 21. The goal is to trim the proposed increase to $21,000, on the $1.35 mil- lion operating budget, down from $91,000 in the draft budget. The capital budget is going to rise $60,000, meaning an overall munic- ipal tax increase of just under 11 per cent. "This is the year we have to get this down to three per cent. "The capital budget, people will understand, these are things we have to do," Mayor Robin Jones said before council tackled the budget for about the fourth time. "We need to cut about $70,000 to get down to three per cent. "We need to be surgi- cal, we need to cut deep," she said. They started with the capital budget, where they have put off setting money aside for a new fire truck. The truck in question is close to 20 years old. Addressing previous concerns, CAO Paul Snider told council that municipal insurance would cover a truck up to 25 years old – and there shouldn't be any issues over individual's property insurance – as long as the truck was successfully undergoing its regular •Continued on page 3 Rideau Lakes Building Centre YOUR TRUSTED BUILDING SUPPLY PARTNER 7719 Hwy. 42, Crosby 613-272-0209 www.RideauLakesBuildingCentre.com Special Offer Ambiance 100% Hardwood Pellets $ 5. 69 per bag when purchasing a skid of 75. *Delivery available Range •Self Clean •Hidden Bake Element •Express-Select® Controls Regular 1099.00 Model #CGEF3030PW $ 899 00 Refrigerator •Smooth White Doors •2 Spillsafe® Glass Shelves •Freezer Shelf Model #CGTR1825SP $ 899 95 Take Both Pieces for $ 1698 00 Continuing a 30 year tradition serving North Leeds - Delivery & Set Up Available Call 359-5660 53 Main St., Elgin Duncan ' s APPLIANCE SALES & SERVICE Little room to move on capital budget means possible 10% increase overall Council works to reduce operating budget increase to 3%

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