Councillor Ward 2 Arnie Warner Publications

Spring 2007 Ward 2 Newsletter

date posted: 2007-04-01

Hello Ward 2 and Hello Spring!

Although I have sent out a number of residents� information letters and held several local residents� meetings in the last 6 months, this is my first What�s New in Ward 2 Report for the new term of Council. I would like to thank the electors of the �new� Ward 2 for your decisive vote of support in last November�s municipal elections.

I will do my best every day to represent all the residents of the Ward and the Town as we move forward on a number of exciting initiatives in Richmond Hill.

Thanks again for your support.

Council Appointments

I have been appointed by Council to a number of important committees. Here are some of the appointments:

Chair - Committee of the Whole
Chair - Budget Committee of the Whole
Chair - Crosby Park Redevelopment Committee
Chair - Richmond Hill Theatre Steering Committee
Co-Chair - Mayor�s Charity Golf Tournament
Member - Crosby Park Fundraising Committee
Member - Official Plan Task Force
Member - Audit Committee
Member - Downtown Task Force
Member - York Region Police District 2 Community Liaison Committee
Liaison - Richmond Hill Seniors

2007 Municipal Taxes

A great deal of attention has been given recently to the plight of municipalities and the funding issues we face. This year, Town Council approved a tax rate increase of 5.9% on the Town portion of your property tax bill. This equates to less than $5.00/month on an average home in Town. No one likes to pay more taxes but the reality is that they are necessary. The Town of Richmond Hill remains totally debt-free. We did not reduce any levels of service - in fact we improved services such as extended hours at Town libraries; added new staff to undertake a long needed official plan review; approved a one window contact centre for Town services; implementation of the green bin program; as well as added a number of new parks, renovation projects, and roads and sewer projects.

In Short�

Residents of the Neal Dr., Rose Branch Dr., Elgin Mills Rd. area will know from the residents� meetings I held that the former Enbridge Gas site on Elgin Mills Road has been approved as a Montessori High School site - a decided improvement to the property.
Belvedere Cres. Residents please note that I was successful in obtaining funds in the 2007 budget to replace the fence adjoining the industrial uses on Centre St. When design options are developed, I will hold a residents� meeting to seek your input/feedback.
Major Mackenzie Dr. - A major watermain project is underway which will see a watermain constructed on the north side of Major Mackenzie from Leslie St. to Pugsley Ave. over the next year or so - watch out for traffic disruptions as it proceeds.
Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts - our beautiful Theatre project is well underway - in the next few weeks, you will see the structural steel rise above the hoardings on Yonge St. - and the restoration of the historic school house has begun - a huge boost for our downtown.
Tridel - This project is finally expected to get underway this Spring now that the sewage allocation issue has been addressed. Construction should start soon.
Downtown Improvements - will continue this year with more sidewalk replacement work and tree plantings. The new benches and planters will be out soon.
Vimy Ridge 90th Anniversary - The Town and the Royal Canadian Legion will hold a memorial on May 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Legion - 233 Centre St. E. I will be in attendance to honour my grandfather who served in the 38th Canadian Infantry at Vimy Ridge.
The BayMills RatePayers Association is hosting their first annual �Meet and Greet your Neighbours� BBQ on Monday, May 21st, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Leno Park. For more info, contact �baymillsrpa04@yahoo.ca�.

Crosby Park - A Celebration - Crosby Park Family Fun Day

The exciting Crosby Park Redevelopment Project is about to become a reality. To celebrate our official groundbreaking of the first fully inclusive park for persons of all ages and abilities please join me and other Members of Council at the Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 26th at the Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be lots of free goodies and activities from some of our great sponsors such as Meridian Credit Union, RBC Royal Bank, Rogers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Richmond Hill Fire Department, Wye Marsh Birds of Prey, Remax balloon and lots more - and maybe a few surprises too.

Please join us for a great day of fun and participate in the park project by buying a tree from our booth - and don�t forget the free burgers compliments of M & M Meats.

Official Ground Breaking at 12:00 noon - See You There!

Thank you for taking the time to read my What�s New in Ward 2. As always, I can be reached at 905-771-2535 or awarner@richmondhill.ca or visit my (soon to be updated) website at www.arniewarner.on.ca.