Letter to the Editor
Editor,
No wonder the Municipality of Meaford council is in a dilemma over the choice of policing for this municipality. The whole process was flawed from the beginning and remains so.
What is required is a response to a Request For a Proposal on policing, ie. an RFP.
By writing their own requirements in an RFP the Meaford Council controls the agenda and puts the respondents on a level playing field.
The Owen Sound policing proposal came ‘out of the blue’, unbidden and not formally asked for. A Request For Proposal would outline what is required by the municipality as client. As it is now the parties have to work with surmise, uncertainty, speculation and pseudo comparisons.
Not only is due process a matter of principle, it is the way things should work to get the best benefit for the taxpayer. After all, this is to tailor the service specifications to our own requirements and pocket book. Such a process should get the best service that the taxpayer can afford.
The question remains, why didn’t the council put out a Request For Proposal under the direction of the Police Services Board, or any other knowledgeable party. Taxpayers could then understand what we’re purchasing, and how it fits our requirements. The council should go back to the drawing board, and do just that. Only a respect for correct process will get Meaford council out of its muddle.
Ken & Judy Thomson, Leith
