The organizers of an all-candidates meeting on Tuesday night in Owen Sound are happy with the outcome.
The city’s police and firefighters associations staged the event in an attempt to clarify what the candidates for council and for mayor see for the future of emergency services.
Most of the 14 council candidates who attended say they support the idea of expanding services into the neighbouring municipalities of Georgian Bluffs and Meaford, but only if there is a guarantee that the current levels of service provided to Owen Sound residents by police and fire would be maintained.
They agreed expansion would also have to make economic sense for the city as well as for the townships.
Some called for the city to prepare a business plan it could present to Georgian Bluffs and Meaford, pointing out why an expansion of services would be beneficial.
It would seem to be a no-brainer to combine the city and Inter-Township fire departments into one service, given that the Inter-Township department is based on the city’s west side and the city service is on the east side.
But full-time city firefighters are concerned about a merger that could create a composite department comprised of themselves and the volunteer township firefighters.
Dave Cruickshank, president of the professional firefighters association, says the firefighters want to be engaged and involved if such a merger should happen, to ensure it’s done properly.
Incumbent councillor David Adair, who has been instrumental in pushing city council to closely examine emergency services budgets, agrees the firefighters should be consulted but they should not have a veto over the process.
He was also the only candidate to not say he unilaterally supports the current response protocols for firefighters, and he says he has no intention of turning the management of the fire hall over to the firefighters association.
Most other candidates had a variation on the answer that protocols should be maintained as is.
No one, including the four mayoral candidates, expressed a desire to see the OPP take over policing in Owen Sound, although some candidates say a costing should be done simply to show that it would not be a favourable option.
Fourteen of the 16 candidates for council were at Tuesday’s meeting. Rick Beaney and Scott Greig had other commitments and could not attend.
All four mayoral candidates were present and were asked most of the same questions given to council candidates.
