It is unacceptable that the province has not appointed a new member to the Guelph Police Services Board after almost 10 months of requests, the board chair recently told the minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Longtime board member Judy Sorbara ended her most recent term in October. Board chair Don Drone told GuelphToday that a request was made as early as May for Sorbara to be reappointed.
The initial request was made to the previous Liberal government, noted Drone. The board made the request once again after the Ontario PC government was sworn in.
“The most irritating thing is they don’t tell us anything, despite our requests,” Drone told GuelphToday at Thursday’s Police Services Board meeting. “I don’t think it’s politically motivated, but I might be naive.”
A call for comment from the ministry was not immediately returned.
The board usually consists of two provincially-appointed members, two members of city council and a community representative who is appointed by council.
Drone is one of the provincially-appointed members. Mayor Cam Guthrie and Ward 4 councillor Christine Billings are the members of city council on the board and Robert Carter sits as the community representative.
Being down one member has been a challenge for the board as it has been dealing with the $34-million headquarters renovation and expansion and the selection of a new chief of police, said Drone..
“We have exhausted just about everything in terms of talking to the ministry, they are just extremely slow,” said Drone.
The board has been making requests to senior staff at the ministry, but on Feb. 11 Drone escalated the matter by penning a letter directly to Sylvia Jones, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
“It’s a small board, we know we are not a priority,” Drone told GuelphToday.
In the letter, Drone expressed frustration at the almost 10-month wait for the appointment to be filled.
“The prolonged absence of a second provincially appointed board member is unacceptable,” Drone wrote.
Drone said it is the board’s preference that Sorbara be reappointed because of her expertise. She previously sat as board chair and later as vice-chair.
A former principal at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute, Sorbara was first appointed to the board in 2010. She has also sat as a board member for the United Way of Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin.
