By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Legal costs are only going to go up, which is why Cobourg Police Board Vice-Chair Sean Graham has been exploring the idea of an arrangement to share legal services among several police service boards.
“Obviously you can’t justify the cost of a lawyer just for Cobourg, but as a collective? I think it’s doable,” Graham said.
Reporting at Tuesday’s board meeting, he said that approaches have been made to five other services – Port Hope, Peterborough, Belleville, Owen Sound and Brockville.
Though early discussions were all positive, there has been no response from Owen Sound and Brockville. Graham said he would follow up on them, but there continues to be interest from the other three.
“We would pay the salary of that lawyer as a collective,” he summed up.
“I think we would look at hiring one lawyer, and that is his job.”
There was debate on how this would work out – for example, what if one municipality’s demands and requirements far outstripped those of the other partners.
This is at the exploratory stage, Board Chair Adam Bureau said.
“It’s a good conversation to have. If it works out, we could save money. And if not, we keep going the same way we have been going,” Bureau commented.
Graham will continue to gather the information and report back
