schools cut out $590,000 PRINCIPALS will be sent from school offices io the classrooms as part of the school board’s plan to slash its $590,000 deficit, Trustees passed a balanced budget last. week by culting $200,000 out of its administrative costs. Most of that money was saved by assigning teaching duties to most’ principals and vice- principals, said school district secretary treasurer Barry . PiersdorfE. .. That means ; the board will be able to chop five full-time teach-— ing jobs. “There are no plans to lay off teachers,’? Piersdorff stressed, ad- ding the reductions will come through normal attrition as teachers leave the district, The culs came as a result of provincial directives to school districts that overspend in admin- __ istration to cut those costs, ‘Bul most of the savings in this district will come on the backs of school-based principals, The only cut at the board office is the reduction of one $44,000-a- year secretarial job. Trustees also axed plans to spend: $156,000 on local capital . Special projects — things like playgrounds, a rubberized track surface in Hazelton, and a mez- zanine for a school, Another $100,000 was saved by capping the disirict’s budget for Services assistanis at $1.40 million. Other savings included a $14,500 reduction in professional development for administrators, and .a $12,000 reduction in the cost of producing the annual report. There will be no Eurther culs to Maintenance workers, custodians, ot secretaries. Those workers faced layoffs and significant reductions in working hours a year ago. Piersdorff said there is no money in the budget for any salary incrcascs to employees this year, apart from the raises workers get as. they gain seniority. The $38.7 million operating budget is up only $44,000 from last year. There should be no deficit or surplus, Piersdorff said. The board spent its entire $667,000 accumulated surplus over the past year. Thornhill sewer plan springs leaks By JEFF NAGEL SOME THORNHILL property owners are trying to duck the bill -for the Queensway-Churchill _ Drive sewer sysiem by con- ~ solidating adjacent properties. Bul the tactic now threatens io blow the Gnancing of the project oul of control. Kitimat-Stikine regional district officials have been trying to trim costs since the contractors’ bids . for the project came in marginally over budget. “But, meanwhile, lots are dis- appearing and — since each lot ‘Means tax money for the project — revenue is falling. Some people are legitimately merging adjacent properties that they have no intention of selling separately. ‘But others think they can avoid the parcel tax by consolidating separate properties now and sub- dividing them again later on once the project is in place. Four lots of the 171 in the ser- vice area have already dis- appeared due to consolidation, and more are on the way. . ‘We expect probably an addi- tional 10,’’ regional district ad- ministralor Bob Marcellin said. “*Potentially near 20 in all.’’ Marcellin says the lost revenues from the consolidation of lots is now a bigger threat to the project than the bids coming in over- budget. Under consideration is a proposal to charge a latecomers’ fee on properties hat subdivide ~ later on, Marcellin said the idea is to make it more expensive for prop- erty. owners to consolidate, sub- divide later and pay the late fee than it would be to pay the parcel tax now. ‘Tt may look good on the sur- face but it may not be so altrac- tive. in the future,’’ Marcellin said. ‘Regional district directors have now decided lo apply for a Cana- da: B.C. . Infrastructure Program grant for construction of a extra sewer capacity thal will also serve the Thornhill commercial core, and, someday, the rest of Thornhill, Marcellin says the grant would also help reduce costs for Queensway-Churchill Drive homeowners. “If we get it the numbers will be better,’’ Marcellin says. If they don’t get that grant, tax- payers in Queensway-Churchill Drive will pay more to offset the lost revenue from consolidation and to cover the higher-than- expecied bid costs. He said the regional district isn’t expecting to get an answer about the grant application before June. The sewer project began as a -- basic low-pressure sewer system for Queensway-Churchill Drive. Each home would still have a septic tank, which would pump out to the main sewer line. After residents there approved a referendum to go ahead with the project last June, however, regional district officials con- tinued to explore the possibilily of adding in some extras to the system so il can someday handle other parts of Thornhill. Lale last year a group of Thom- hill commercial core properly owners began lobbying for exten- sion of the system into that area. Then early this year the deci- sion was made: the regional dis- trict would attempt to go ahead with the ‘‘extras’’ to avoid un- neccessarily tipping up roads at astronomical cost later on to ex- tend sewer. Commercial core property owners agreed — by petition — to pay for the extra cost of an oversized Queensway main line. to handle the extra How from the commercial core, plus enlarge- ment of the treatment plant and extension of the line into the commercial core. And all Thornhill taxpayers — except Queensway and Churchill Drive — will pay a one-time $130 fee on their taxes this year to put an extra 12-inch line in the same ditch to eventually service the rest of Thornhill. The bids ranged from $2.0 mil- lion to $2.4 million to carry out construction, marginally over what the regional district had budgeted. THE Diabetes Healthy Comm ye helping people. CANADIAN ASSOCIATION (d| DIABETES CANADIENNE ASSOCIATION | DU DIABETE unities School District Budget Highlights m Five teaching jobs to be cut saving $200,000. Those positions are to be replaced by sending principals and vice-principals into the classrooms to teach. m No layoffs or work week reductions to maintenance workers and custodians. g Salaries and benefits make up 83 per cent of the district’s $38.7 million operating budget for 1994/95, mw School District #88 Is the largest employer in Terrace, and is second only to Alcan in the northwest. 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