WHAT YOUR $250,000 BOUGHT: This house at the corner of Elizabeth and Clara streets would appear to have been a bargain at $250,000 in terms of today's Orangeville real estate market, but Amaranth Mayor Bob Currie expresses disappointment in the purchase for two reasons: first, he says, the county already owns vacant property elsewhere; and, secondly, he opines that the house sits on a "shoebox lot." Dufferin County Council will ratify the purchase of a bungalow at the southeast corner of Elizabeth and Clara streets in Orangeville at its September meeting.

The purchase had been approved at council's June meeting following a closed-door discussion, but the location was not disclosed at the time.

Amaranth Mayor Bob Currie, without revealing details of the in-camera meeting, said it had been brief.

"We spent $250,000 for a shoebox lot on Clara, west of the county building. We spent five minutes in the discussion and hours on a $30,000 bicycle lane (for County Road 12)," he said. He said the deal had not received unanimous approval. The purchase was subsequently

approved in open session on the same June night. Typically, however, specifics of real estate transactions remain confidential until the deals have been completed.

On Monday, CAO Linda Dean confirmed that this one had been closed, and the necessary bylaw would be brought to the Sept. 14 council meeting.

She declined to say to what use the property would be put. "That is for future consideration. It's not in the best county interest to suggest that we need more property (for any specific reason)," she said.

Council's discussion of the purchase might have been brief, but Public Works Director Trevor Lewis said Chief Building Official Mike Giles (who was on vacation this week) had inspected the property prior to the meeting.

Mayor Currie, meantime, indicated the deal went forward because of

the county's weighted vote system, in which Orangeville controls almost 50 per cent of the total votes.

Previously, the lowertier municipalities had been canvassed for their opinion of a suggested move of one or more departments to countyowned land at Primrose.

Not all were in favour of taking some county services now in Orangeville to the geographic centre of Dufferin.

For example, Orangeville Mayor Drew Brown was quoted as saying something to the effect that such a move would be "over my dead body."

The county departments have already been decentralized to some extent since the expansion of courtrooms in the county courthouse.

Among other things, the social services department and council's committee room are in rented premises on Broadway.