Grey County is going to take a look at the costs of security and prisoner transport for two provincial courthouses in Owen Sound.
At its meeting on June 27, county council unanimously approved a resolution from Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy to seek a staff report on the prisoner transportation and court security costs for the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice in Owen Sound.
Currently, Owen Sound shoulders the security and transportation costs – although it receives a significant grant from the province that helps offset the total. Boddy said in 2024 his city has budgeted $236,233 for those costs. The total costs are $565,569, with the province kicking in $329,336 through the Court Security and Prisoner Transportation Program.
Owen Sound is in the situation because it has its own municipal police force that, by provincial regulation, is required to provide security for the courthouse and prisoner transportation.
Although the courts serve the wider Grey and Bruce communities, Owen Sound has found itself paying these costs for many years.
“There is a lot of security that has to be in that building,” said Boddy.
Owen Sound Deputy Mayor Scott Greig said his city is in an unusual position on the matter. Greig said in larger urban centres like Peel Region, a regional police service is in place that spreads the transportation and security costs over the larger tax base.
“Owen Sound is placed in a unique situation,” said Greig.
For communities that receive policing from the OPP and have provincial courthouses – the security and transportation costs are covered in their contract costs with the OPP. Provincial funding for those costs are rebated back through credits on their bill.
In the past, Owen Sound representatives have sought county support on the issue with little success. In 2012, the province did introduce the grant program to assist municipalities in this situation, but the funding does not cover all the costs.
Boddy’s resolution sought a staff report about the matter that will include a summary of the issue and possible options or models for funding.
Chatsworth Mayor Scott Mackey asked for the report to break down and separate the costs for prisoner transportation and security to give county council a full picture of the situation. West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles wondered if there are revenue opportunities at the courthouse building, which is located directly across the street from the Grey County administrative offices.
A 2021 report prepared for the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario reviewed the issue and found that provincial funding for those costs covered 76 per cent of the expenses for municipally policed municipalities and 81 per cent of the expenses for those policed by the OPP.
However, in terms of the real dollars paid, the difference was significant. Municipally policed areas providing the services were left to make up $37.8 million, while OPP-police areas made up just $1.3 million in those costs.
