The roar of the applause could be heard on the street as two Lions took down North Huron council. These two heroes stood their ground, and demanded to be heard. They only had time to touch on 7 points ranging from the 20.65% tax increase, to the fact East-Wawanosh & Blyth councilors are demanding Howson Dam be removed despite Wingham’s wishes.
Council and staff have canceled the special meeting for public input that was scheduled for Monday (13Mar). If you watch the video below you will understand why council chickened out of the meeting.
Please take the time to watch these heroes take a stand and defend Wingham. Please follow their lead and stand up for what you know to be right, and pledge never to be a bystander again.
The Lions Club of Wingham is very concerned about the budgeting process being followed this year and appreciates the opportunity to convey some of these concerns to you.
- We find it very difficult to understand why a budget requiring a property tax increase of 21% would even be proposed, at any time, but especially now with higher interest rates, inflation, higher food costs, etcetera affecting every property owner in the Township. Please reduce it to something reasonable such as 5 to 7%.
- Recreation is not an ‘optional item’ in any community. It is a very important physical and mental benefit to all residents of this Township. Our Club has existed in Wingham for 85 years and, during that time,
Lions members have contributed many thousands of dollars and volunteer hours to recreational facilities and activities here. Accordingly, we strongly suggest that you find items other than recreation to reduce or eliminate in your proposed budget to bring it down to a reasonable increase. We believe that recreational facilities should not be devalued or interrupted just because they don’t make money. That is not the intention. They are there to benefit taxpayers, as well as draw others into the community.
Indeed, it would be surprising if recreational facilities do make money… but that is not the point. The point is that taxpayers should expect their taxes to support the recreational facilities of our community,
and their uninterrupted operation. For some, these facilities are essential to their health. - Another item that we suggest you review is ‘the new council chamber’. We do not believe, nor do we perceive the residents of our Township believe, that spending $450,000 of our residential taxes to create a new council chamber is a good idea, no matter where it is, but especially when it is not in a building that we own. What is the matter with using our recently renovated, beautiful but underutilized, theatre??
Why can’t you use the existing council chambers on the main floor of the town hall – surely whoever or whatever you have allowed in there to displace you can be moved somewhere else close for much less
than $450,000!! What about a storefront down or across the street? What about a ‘portable’ out the back with a connecting covered walkway, if necessary?? What about the old Post Office/Museum building?? - Of course, the obvious item to be deleted is the $1.3 million for the decommissioning of the Howson Dam, which would eliminate our beautiful Pond. As we have indicated to this council several times
during the recent past, our Club strongly supports the rehabilitation of the Dam so that we can again enjoy the Pond for recreational and esthetic purposes. We understand that the last engineering report
indicated that the Dam can be revitalised. We also understand that the Citizens Committee has offered to fundraise all the monies required for such a project and our Club would be willing to help in that regard.
To do nothing with the Dam this year would cost nothing, except perhaps a small penalty for not proceeding with the contract! There is no pressing reason to decommission it in 2023! Furthermore, we
understand that the required Government Approvals have not yet been received! Given that the Howson Dam is a somewhat controversial issue with the taxpayers, postponing any action for a year would give
you time to put the question of what to do with the Dam to a referendum of eligible voters in Wingham and would cost much less than the proposed decommissioning. - We question why another $150,000 is required for the work on the entrance to the town hall? Wasn’t that project, and the financing for it, in the 2022 budget such that the necessary funds to complete it have
already been collected? And something else we don’t understand is “wasn’t the building already fully accessible with the lift that exists on the south side”? - Please be advised that our Club completely supports the Blyth Lions Club with respect to their presentation to you regarding the importance of the Blyth & District Community Centre to that community.
- We also note that there is no street reconstruction or repaving work proposed in Wingham in the budget and, for that matter, no street or road work proposed anywhere in the Township. At least in Wingham,
we suggest there certainly is the need for some such work and we hope some is planned soon. We all know that keeping our infrastructure in good condition is vitally important.