Clinton News Record, 2014-01-29, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, January 29, 2014
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editorial
Let's get moving
on transportation
already!
Sometimes, you know you have a problem and
you know what you need to do to fix it, but it's
just too onerous or too expensive to tackle.
I'm sure you know what I mean... that slow
leak under the sink, that strange ticking noise
the car makes... Things that would always be eas-
ier and less costly if you would just sack up and
do it.
Public transportation is one of those things in
Huron County.
It's incredibly tough to get around here if you
don't have a car, but many people don't really
have any other options. So, they bum rides, they
pay for cabs, they hitchhike. Some folks bike
between towns.
Many others just do without.
But if you think about it, the one thing that
could seriously support the sustainability of all
these communities in Huron County and boost
everyone's bottom line is allowing people
access. Access to local business, access to medi-
cal care, access to shops and restaurants, and
with it access to affordable and reliable
transportation.
The county's sustainability study recommends
public transportation. The United Way wrapped
up a study on transportation a couple years ago.
Highlighting the dire lack and need for public
transportation. Small towns everywhere are try-
ing to grow but can't keep people because there
are no jobs and no way in or out.
The need has been demonstrated. It has been
documented. It has been looked at every way
and from every angle and it all points to the
same answer - people want and people need to
be able to get places. It sounds simple, and it
very much is.
But, it's one of those things. It's too expensive.
It's too much work to set up. It won't make
money.
And yet, nobody stuck at home is making any
money. People who could easily find work if they
could get to work are no better off.
Potential clients and customers are going to go
wherever their budget and feet allow.
The problem is the same in every municipality
- there just isn't enough money.
And, when there is enough money, chances
are there will be another study - just to be sure
CONTINUED > PAGE 5
Who is watching the detectives
for soaring OPP costs?
Central Huron Coun-
cil received a half
dozen requests
from other Ontario
municipalities at their Jan.
20 meeting, asking them
join in telling the province
to step in and do some-
thing about exorbitant
policing costs. With the new OPP
costing formula due this year, many
smaller municipalities are going to
have significant increases. Larger
municipalities will likely see a
decrease.
Across Ontario, the overall
increase in policing cost is 8.5 per
cent, mainly in wages. Central
Huron's stance is to take no stance,
as it really does not affect us too
much.
The four options provided by the
OPP are: stay the same, everyone
pays equally, base rate plus service
charge or base the cost on property
assessment.
Here at home, it's looking like base
rate plus a per -call charge is the way
things are headed. And, if things
remain as slow as they are, it should
end up being a wash in the books.
But, there is much ambiguity sur-
rounding the contract. Municipali-
ties are being asked to sign on now,
with no final figures from the OPP.
The police are working their
rounds promoting the new contract
but - as is the case in Central Huron
- we still only have a tentative idea
of what that contract will cost. All we
have are estimates. According to fig-
ures on the OPP web site, the 2011
policing cost per household was
$334. In 2015, the cost is estimated
at $369.
Ontario has the lowest crime rates
in Canada, which presents a
chicken/egg situation - do we need
to pay more for police when there
are fewer crimes being committed or
is the crime rate falling because of an GC
Column
Gerard Creces
increased police
presence?
With more than one
quarter of all tax money
spent in the municipality
going to policing, it is
fair to ask if the service
we receive is worth the
huge amount of money
spent. Central Huron's $1.3 million is
a lot of cabbage for police in a
municipality that has little crime.
Still, we spend a disproportionate
amount on police when compared
to other areas of municipal life.
With councils across the county
doing their best to trim over -expen-
ditures, is the product worth the
money, or should Ontarians haggle
down the price?
Fairness and transparency are the
main drivers behind the new billing
model.
Fairness is understandable - if eve-
ryone receives the same service, we
should all pay the same. But to say
that a billing model will assist with
transparency is basically charging
for a service that should be provided
anyway.
Imagine telling your boss, "You
mean you want me to do my job and
let people know what they pay for?
That's going to cost extra."
It wouldn't fly.
The fact that council received so
many requests to ask the province to
stop the increases shows many
municipalities are saying enough is
enough when it comes to police
costs.
The OPP state the new billing
model will not affect the overall cost
of policing, but rather how everyone
pays their fair share.
But, with an 8.5 per cent increase
on what the fair share is, there is little
protecting taxpayers from manda-
tory protective services.
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