Huron County’s Warden got a chance to talk with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ted McMeekin at last month’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in London.

Joe Steffler had three specific questions he wanted to ask. Regarding the on-going claw backs in Ontario Municipal Partnership funding from the Province, Steffler was told the budget for this year is set and that’s not going to change.

He says, “Mr. McMeekin’s answer to us at that time was the budget has already been cast for this year, it’s cast in stone, there will be no changes made. they will accept presentations at a future date but there will be no promises made.”

On the issue of the new OPP billing model, McMeekin reiterated the government’s explanation that the average cost per household would be around 350 dollars annually.

He pointed out 60 per cent of that would be for basic service and forty would related to the frequency of calls.

Steffler says he was also assured the Province would send a letter to the Federal government recommending they help fund broadband service for rural municipalities.

Steffler added the Western Wardens assured him that local service providers would have input into any further broadband installations in Huron.