The Ontario Good Roads convention is getting underway today in Toronto and plenty of local politicians will be on hand.
Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners, the City Manager and a councillor will all be at the Convention, which the mayor says offers small town officials a chance to meet with some of the ministers at Queens Park.
Lovell Stanners is meeting with two Provincial ministers today — Rick Bartalucci, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, as well as Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jim Watson.
The Owen Sound mayor plans on pressing Rick Bartalucci on two main topics, the cost of policing and who pays for courtroom security.
Right now, municipalities pay for courtroom security and the province doesn’t plan on uploading that cost until 2012 with that cost phased in over six years.
Lovell Stanners says municipalities need help now covering those costs.
Meanwhile, she wants to tell him about how big pay increases for the OPP have a significant impact on smaller communities, since they are expected to match those pay hikes for local Police forces.
Lovell Stanners says emergency services in Owen Sound account for nearly half of the overall budget in the city.
The Mayor also wants to talk with Municipal affairs and Housing minister Jim Watson about heritage properties.
She says Queens Park tells cities and towns to preserve their heritage properties, but no money is provided from the government.
The Mayor will meet with the two Ministers this afternoon at the Good Roads convention.