Tom Sasvari The Recorder GORE BAY—A senior planner with the MMM Group Limited says the issue raised by Burpee Mills and other municipalities regarding the loss of the tax base to tax exempt lands is not an issue for the Manitoulin Planning Board or for the new Official Plan being carried out for the Manitoulin District. Instead, municipalities need to address this concern with the province, and look at impl ...

BURPEE MILLS—A petition requesting that the provincial government cease and desist in declaring lands tax exempt has been making the rounds in the Township of Burpee Mills and beyond under the stewardship, and with the blessing, of the municipal council. Councillor Wayne Bailey has nothing against conservation and wildlife, he just wonders why it is that residents in small rural communities are having to be ...

Tom Sasvari The Recorder EVANSVILLE—The municipality of Burpee-Mills has passed another zero percent tax increase in its budget. “We have passed a budget with no increase in taxes,” said Ken Noland, reeve of Burpee-Mills, earlier this week. Mr. Noland explained that council was able to pass the zero percent budget increase, while taking care of its portion of funding for the Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport repa ...

Tom Sasvari The Recorder LITTLE CURRENT—The Manitoulin Centennial Manor Board received some good news concerning its financial situation from the provincial government last week. “It is good news, it will make the deficit manageable to pay back, although it will still be a tight budget and we are still in negotiations with the province,” said Manor board chair Mary Jo Eckert-Tracy, after a Manor board meeti ...

Tom Sasvari with files by Robin Burridge The Recorder MANITOULIN—A local municipal leader says Manitoulin municipalities should brace themselves to come up with more funds because of the current financial situation the Manitoulin Centennial Manor is facing. “I’d like to speak to a major misconception that has been perpetrated on this group and municipalities,” stated Joe Chapman, mayor of the Northeast Town ...

by Robin Burridge LITTLE CURRENT—Several elected municipal leaders support the claim by veteran Centennial Manor board members that money spent in 2006 and 2007 on mandated improvements to the facility would not have to be repaid to the province. This is important support for the beleaguered institution that, on paper, is $1.2 million in the red according to its most recent audited statements. The province ...

Tom Sasvari with files from Stacey Lavallie The Recorder EVANSVILLE—The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) has endorsed a motion passed earlier this year by the Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) on the latter’s concerns regarding the 1990 Manitoulin lands claim agreement process. “Joe Chapman (mayor of the Northeast Town) made a presentation on behalf of our municipalities concerning ...

Tom Sasvari The Recorder GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—After being presented to council on April 3, the first draft of the Municipality of Gordon/Barrie Island’s 10-year strategic plan is ready for review from the public. “I think the plan is fairly straight forward and reflective of the sentiments that have been expressed over the last year or two by the public and by council,” stated Laura Barfoot, economic develo ...

Tom Sasvari The Recorder GORE BAY—Funding from FedNor for the Local Initiatives Program, administered by the LaCloche-Manitoulin Business Assistance Corporation (LAMBAC), the fund that has benefited and supported many municipalities and not-for-profit organizations on Manitoulin Island in the past, has been cancelled. “It certainly seems as if Northern Ontario is being forgotten more and more and the needs ...

Tom Sasvari The Recorder GORE BAY—While their normal requisitions for the Manitoulin Planning Board will not change this year, Island municipalities are being charged for only a little more than half the costs of the Manitoulin Official Plan. This decision came after planning board members agreed to take close to half the costs of the 2012 Official Plan review out of its reserves. “We need to explain in our ...