Amherstburg candidate vows to end policing deal
Amherstburg residents will get a referendum of sorts on policing after all.
If elected, mayoral candidate Glenn Swinton said Wednesday he would do everything he can to remove Amherstburg from the recently approved policing contract with Windsor.
“I entered the race because I think the town of Amherstburg wanted a choice. They made it very clear, they spoke very loudly, that a lot of people said, ‘Why don’t we put it to the ballot?’ This is a major decision on a critical service,” said Swinton. Swinton is up against Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, who is seeking a second term and was the tie-breaking vote on the police contract issue in February. He said the town is keeping the same number of officers
and the same level of service, adding the majority of residents wanted to make the switch but weren’t vocal in their support because it was such an emotional issue and some were booed by others at a meeting.
“We elected you to make these decisions — make the decision,” DiCarlo said he heard from residents.
“For every person who says you should have done this, you should have had a referendum, I would hope, at the very least, they can accept that there are a whole lot of other people who had the exact opposite position, because I heard it.”
Last week, the 20-year deal starting Jan. 1, became official. The contract will be reviewed every five years with the possibility of opting out with 18 months notice, so it may not be possible to cancel the contract sooner.
With Swinton, who filed a day before the Friday deadline, the mayor’s race could turn this election into a policing referendum of sorts. DiCarlo hopes not. Amherstburg was in horrible financial shape four years ago, said DiCarlo, who is campaigning on his record of a collective effort by council to turn things around. Developers are showing interest again, he said, and council has created reserves where there were none, and put money into roads while reducing long-term debt. “This is a very pivotal election for the town, even more so than the last one,” DiCarlo said. “We have gotten in a better positive position and it can easily change negative again based on the outcome of this election. So, if you want all that to continue, you need to get out and vote.” DiCarlo, 50, was elected mayor over three other candidates in 2014 when former mayor Wayne Hurst decided not to run. DiCarlo is the lab co-ordinator for the University of Windsor’s department of physics.
Swinton, 48, is the founder and CEO of a Great Lakes tugboat service called Canadian Coastal Services and he and his wife run Goudreau Personnel by Swinton, a staffing firm in Windsor. He didn’t want to see DiCarlo acclaimed. Swinton doesn’t think the majority of residents wanted to contract out policing, and he’s concerned costs will rise in the long run and the town won’t be able to do anything about it. “You can’t effectively predict a cost savings on policing needs on a community that’s growing and expanding.”
Swinton, who said he’s not related to anyone on the Amherstburg force, can’t guarantee he can revoke the contract, but he wants to be elected to see the details. “I will be looking for every out, and if it’s feasibly available, I want to revoke it.”
DiCarlo said the cost of policing was a big issue when he was campaigning for mayor in 2014. He said the service level will remain the same, with all the current Amherstburg officers remaining with the exception of the chief and deputy chief.
The contract with Windsor Police Services is expected to save the town about $600,000 a year, or close to $12 million over 20 years, he said. There’s a five-year confirmed cost savings, and because residents were concerned about the cost rising, the town asked for a 20-year contract with an option to revisit the contract every five years and get out of the deal with 18 months notice, he said. The savings are in administration and economies of scale in purchasing, he said. The town is keeping its police station in case it withdraws later.
A referendum would have needed more than 50 per cent of residents voting and Amherstburg doesn’t reach that rate of voter participation during elections, DiCarlo said. All the details of the contract, such as how many officers would be on the road at any given time, could not be released. Swinton questioned the timing of the contract before the election. DiCarlo said the issue has been so contentious elsewhere that he opted not to delay a decision for both the sake of the officers and residents. In February, councillors Rick Fryer and Leo Meloche voted for the switch. Councillors Jason Lavigne and Joan Courtney voted against. Deputy mayor Bart DiPasquale and Coun. Diane Pouget have relatives employed by Windsor police so they didn’t vote.