Council looks at downsizing itself

Ken Johnston

Rainy River town council took its first steps towards reducing the size of government here.
At the September meeting this past Monday evening, councillor Ed Tymkin gave the bylaw, to reduce council from seven to five members (including the mayor), first reading.
Councillor Brent Anderson expressed his want for the public to have input on the said change and noted that after giving the bylaw its first reading that public meetings should be called.
Councillor Gerry Marchuk disagreed, noting that he feels that the change should be put on the ballot of the next election as a referendum. “The public does not get a vote at a meeting. While I likely won’t be running next fall, I feel the public should have a vote on this. What if only three people show up for the meetings?”
Anderson said, “That will show they are not against it.”
The bylaw has to be read two more times with amendments to it coming after the next reading.
The bylaw states that if passed as read the council of today feels the community can be effectively governed with less members.
Many comparably sized communities have only five members of council.
There was no date struck for the first public meeting, but council said it will notify the public once they have made that decision.
Tax bills
Council passed a bylaw Monday to adopt tax levies for 2005. Councillor and Finance Chair, Brent Anderson noted that the rates have not change from the past two years.
Anderson said his committee fully expects the tax bills will be out on or about Sept. 30, 2005. Payment is due 21 days after the billing date.
Other business
•Council voted against paying $133.75 for the 4008 Committee’s membership in Sunset Country.
•Council voted to pay its own membership in the amount of $209.93 to Sunset Country.
•Council voted to pay $70.00 to be a non-voting member in the North Western Ontario Tourism Association.
•Council agreed to send one councillor to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association meeting on Sept. 22-23.
•Council sent a motion back to committee that would have seen the property where the new Covenant Church is being built rezoned from rural to institutional.
•Council passed a motion to pay the Animal Enforcement Officer $150.00 per month to cover her expenses for patrolling, cell phone usage, gas, etc.
•Councillor Marchuk reported that the town has purchased two skunk traps and that the town crew will be busy setting them as there have been many reports of skunks around town.
•Council chose not to consider a mileage increase in the wake of rising fuel costs.