Owen Sound councillors are angry with the Ontario Minister for Municipal Affairs.
Ted McMeekin turned down council's request to have Owen Sound declared a disaster zone. That would have made the city eligible for funding to help pay the cost of the frozen water pipes this winter.
Mayor Ian Boddy says that means taxpayers will somehow have to foot the bill that's now over a million dollars and counting. "It's not a happy state of affairs. I think it's a blow to the taxpayers of Owen Sound," said Boddy.
In a letter to Owen Sound council, the Minister said, "I have concluded that the amount of damage is not beyond the financial capacity of your municipality to manage. As well, although the winter was severe, infrastructure repairs arising from cold weather are not an unexpected natural disaster."
Owen Sound council wonders how the minister can determine over 300 families and businesses without water for as long as two months is not a disaster. And the money to pay for repairs will drain Owen Sound reserves to practically nothing.
Councillors want a meeting with the minister to further explain how he came to the decision to deny the city disaster relief funding.
