Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci said his nearly 10 years experience as a municipal politician in Sudbury will serve him well in his new position as the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Premier Dalton McGuinty announced he was shuffling his cabinet Aug. 18. St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley will now head up Bartolucci’s old ministry — the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Bartolucci was a Sudbury alderman and regional councillor from 1979 to 1982, and again from 1985 to 1991, serving as deputy mayor at times.

He said his knowledge of the reality of northern Ontario gives him an understanding of the issues northern cities like Sudbury face, including higher costs for roads and sewers, and the need for a housing strategy.

“Just drive down Highway 69 and see the added costs (for services) that we in the north face,” he said. “We are built on the Canadian Shield.”

He said he expected to be in the swing of things with his new portfolio by this week, as he’s been undergoing briefings in Toronto about his new duties.

Doug Nadorozny, Greater Sudbury chief administrative officer, said having Bartloucci in his newly assigned role is good for the city.

“Considering he was in municipal politics as a councillor and is from the north, he knows the unique challenges municipalities have when it comes to financing, especially those in the north,” Nadorozny said.

“We have low population densities here,” he said.

Nadorozny agreed providing services is more expensive in the north because of the unique terrain. “These are some of the things we appeal as a city to the Ministry of Finance when they rejig the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF).”

Bartolucci was asked about any changes to the OMPF, an important source of funding for the city.

He said the city had received a letter from the province, stating some of the funds may not be forthcoming for the next fiscal year. He said that funding was the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance and subject to change.

Lorella Hayes, Greater Sudbury chief financial officer, said the amount the city gets from the province for 2011 will not be known until December. In 2010, the city received $45.4 million in OMPF funding.

Regarding the housing portion of his duties, Bartolucci said affordable housing is critical to cities like Greater Sudbury.

“(Affordable housing) will help us manage our alternative level of care (ALC) crisis.”

He said the province needs a long-term strategy for housing seniors and other residents.

He said over the years, with his municipal experience to his cabinet duties, one thing that stands out is the need for partnerships between the various levels of government to get projects going.

Bartolucci said barring any serious family issues, he fully expects to run again in the next provincial election in 2011.