Mayor explains current issues to Peel Referral Association
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

Mayor Marolyn Morrison talked about the positive financial state of the Town of Caledon and some good news coming out of the provincial budget in her breakfast meeting with the Peel Referral Association last Tuesday at Chef Talk Bistro in Bolton.

The PRA is a non-profit association made up of local businesses who gather weekly to share and support business leads and referrals.

Morrison noted Caledon council approved the Town budget Feb. 6 with a 2.7 per cent tax increase, one of the lowest in the Greater Toronto Area. The increase takes care of inflation, she said. It's the second-lowest residential tax rate, behind only Milton which has the benefit of receiving about $7 million in slot machine revenue, she said.

The mayor added as of Dec. 31 the Town had no outside debt. Council charges itself an interest rate if it borrows internally.

She also explained the average home assessed at $361,000 in Caledon would have paid $1,026.72 to the Town in property taxes last year. By comparison, an Orangeville home owner would have paid $2,494.05 in property taxes on a similarly assessed house.

Morrison said the 2007 tax rates won't be approved by council until May.

She also pointed out those whose property assessments went up 15 per cent or less won't see a huge difference in their taxes, because the Town does adjust the tax rate. If council left the tax rate where it was, taxes would go up for everyone, she explained.

Addressing the provincial budget, Morrison said overall it was a good news budget for Caledon. The Town asked for $749,000 to retrofit the Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness, and it received the grant. It will allow the installation of a generator and solar panels.

"That was really good news," she said.

The mayor along with councillors Doug Beffort and Richard Paterak, and Caledon OPP Inspector Andy Karski went to see Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield about Highway 10. They told her the biggest problem is the traffic bottleneck through Caledon village which causes vehicles to divert to rural roads. Cansfield told them she has a residence north of Caledon so she's familiar with the area.

"They have put money in the budget for Highway 10," Morrison said.

She added the design is there and something should happen this year.

The mayor was also pleased GTA pooling is being phased out, starting in 2008. Peel region was having to send $66 million to help pay for Toronto's social services.

"We need to bring social services up to where it should be," she said.

Morrison explained the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation will now be doing property assessments every four years instead of every year. Property owners who receive a 20 per cent increase in their assessment will see it spread out over the four years so it will only be five per cent a year, she said. She added the same phasing will apply for people receiving a decrease in their property assessment.

Another topic the mayor addressed was the Mayfield West development. She noted there have been eight appeals filed against it.

"It's a shame," she said. "It's been on the books for years."

The Town plans for growth and it allocated 13,000 more people for Mayfield West, she explained. Bolton currently has 25,000 residents and Mayfield West will probably end up with the same population, she said.

"We start to balance the Town of Caledon," she said. "We lose dollars to shopping because we're not balanced."

In Valleywood, people have told her they don't want Highway 410 coming through, but the detail design is done and Phase 3 is done. She sees the extension at Heart Lake Road open by the summer of 2009. The property acquisition is almost done and the contract for the work is to be awarded this year, she said.

In other transportation news, she noted an environmental open house for Highway 427 will be held April 25 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Le Jardin Banquet Hall in Vaughan. She wants the 427 extended at least up to Major Mackenzie Drive to take the goods and services from their industrial area. Originally, the province was only going to take the highway to Rutherford Road.

"It will be a positive for Caledon," she said.

Morrison acknowledged she's taken wrath over not building the new hockey arena in Bolton. She explained the Town didn't own land in Bolton for it, but it did own land in Caledon East.

"That is probably the best place for it to go," she said.

She added if you're a hockey parent, you're going to drive no matter where the arena is and Caledon East is centrally located, meaning a drive of no more than 20 minutes for anyone in town.

She concluded by mentioning the Bolton community improvement task force just had its second meeting March 26. It's purpose is to improve retail business in Bolton and attract more people to shop in Bolton. More information about the task force is available on the Town's Web site, www.caledon. ca.