County catches its breath on taxes
For the second year in a row, there will be no increase in Wellington County mill rates.
Warden Jim Connell made the announcement in a budget report to county council. He said, “1995 will be a year to catch our breath” after implementation of county-wide tax reassessment and the $1.73-million Wellington Terrace renovation project in 1994.
The county has been able to keep the mill rate steady for this fiscal year due to an “improved economy” that resulted in a reduction in the general welfare assistance caseload, he said.
Board appoints Martha Rogers as director
The Wellington County Board of Education has announced the appointment of Martha Carolyn Rogers, Ph.D., as director of education, effective April 18.
She is currently the board’s superintendent of human resources. She will replace Terry Lynch, who has been appointed director at the Simcoe County Board of Education.
Rogers worked previously for the ministry of education and training, for the Dufferin and Peel boards and for three years in the business sector.
“We are very fortunate to have someone of Dr. Roger’s calibre,” said board chair Jennifer Waterston.
Rogers is also on the board of directors of the Guelph Wellington Association for Community Living, on the program advisory board for arts and science at Conestoga College and a member of the Rotary Club of Guelph.
She is married to Paul Rogers, principal of Norwell District Secondary School. They have lived in Elora since 1989.
Her new appointment runs until Dec. 31, 1997, at which time the contract will be renewed until 2000, unless the position has been declared redundant as a result of school board amalgamation.
Press barred from Eden Mills bridge meeting
A community meeting on Feb. 27 to discuss the future of the bowstring bridge in Eden Mills was closed to the press.
Organizer Joe Martin informed Alan Argue, a freelance reporter for the Wellington Advertiser, that he had to leave the meeting, since it was “for the residents of Eden Mills”.
The meeting was held one week after Eramosa Township council decided to initiate action to replace the bridge. It was the second residents’ meeting within eight days at the Eden Mills community centre concerning preservation of the heritage bridge.
Co-organizer Michael Keefer was not available for comment, with several calls to him not returned.
The first meeting was attended by about 30 people, not all of them Eden Mills residents. There were several comments at the meeting suggesting that the “press” was causing panic regarding the issue.
As of that date, Argue had not submitted any articles about the bridge to the Advertiser.
