A meeting between the Town of Lockeport, the Municipality of Shelburne, and the Town of Shelburne is scheduled for this evening to discuss a joint policing contract.
The communities all have separate contracts with the RCMP but the Town of Shelburne’s mayor argues her community pays the most.
Karen Mattatal says it’s about fairness.
Her commmunity has decreased in size from over 3,000 people to around 1,700 but their costs have remained the same.
“It just leaves us saying ‘well what is so unique about the Town of Shelburne that we have to pay three or four times more for the same service as anyone else.”
That means each household is paying $877 in taxes per year in police services.
“Why is the town of Shelburne expected to pay for the same number of officers with a population 1,700, that we paid when we had 3,000? says Mattatal. “Nobody has been able to answer that question.”
The town is also weighing the option of contracting their policing to Bridgewater Police Services.
Mattatal says the provincial Department of Justice is looking into the issue too.
She expects to present something at the next town council meeting from the province.
The meeting tonight takes place at 6:30 at the Shelburne Community Centre, however Mattatal notes she did not get a firm answer from the Municipality of Shelburne on whether they will attend the meeting.
