OPP costs hit nerve with local mayors

[Michael Jack]

SOUTH MUSKOKA - Local mayors went to bat for taxpayers over policing costs last week.

During the April 23 meeting of the corporate and emergency services committee at the district, a motion was brought forward to allocate policing costs based on the actual costs for each lower tier municipality as provided by the OPP rather than the district spreading the cost evenly throughout all six areas.

Gravenhurst mayor Paisley Donaldson didn’t hold back. Clearly angered by the proposal, she said she wouldn’t be backing the motion.

“The district’s role is to spread the money out so we can all survive,” she said, noting individual budgets were already approved. “Maybe if we had known we wouldn’t have passed so many other things at our local level.”

Bracebridge mayor Graydon Smith also opposed the motion. It was later defeated.

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