Prescott Mayor Guari Shankar says there are some things municipalities can do to make sure they are front of mind for provincial ministers.
Shankar was in attendance at this week’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference in Toronto and he says there were discussions around many issues that are shared by municipalities across the province including homelessness and programs that are being put into municipal hands like doctor recruitment.
He says it was good to meet with provincial leaders and hear about how other municipalities are dealing with the issues.
Shankar tells Moose FM that they key to making sure your community is remembered is to be prepared for when those conversations take place.
“There’s no use in coming and saying we want more money for this because that’s what everyone does. If you say we were wondering if we tried this, or a different way of providing a solution for common problems.”
Shankar adds that they will now follow up on the meetings that were held with further discussions and emails and hope that they are one of the communities selected for support.
