The City of Owen Sound wants Grey County to help pay for court security costs.
The Owen Sound members of Grey County Council — Arlene Wright and Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners asked the County yesterday to cover 500 thousand dollars in security costs at the provincial courthouse.
The City currently supplies policing and security at the courthouse — but Wright notes Owen Sound residents are only involved in 35 per cent of the cases.
Wright doesn’t feel City taxpayers should pay for other municipalities.
But the motion stopped dead in its tracks.
Warden Kevin Eccles says any motion requesting a commitment over five thousand dollars would first have to be directed to the Finance and Personnel committee.
Wright says she will follow through and bring the motion to the next committee meeting later this month.
Wright and Lovell are trying to find a plan so the City won’t get stuck with the court security bill for the next several years.
The provincial government announced last week it would upload the cost but not until 2012 — and it would be phased over a six year period.
The Mayor also wants a representative from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to visit the City.
Lovell Stanners says they are upset AMO would support the province’s plan.
She wonders if their four thousand dollar membership fee could be better spent in Owen Sound.
