Julian Fantino has been re-appointed as Ontario's top cop through July 2010 so he can oversee the high-profile G8 Summit in Huntsville, Ont., the provincial government said Tuesday.

Fantino will stay on as the commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police for about a month after the summit, which is scheduled for June 25-27, 2010, said Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci in a statement.

"Ontarians can have full confidence that an experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated leader is at the forefront of security planning for the G8 Summit as we continue to work with our federal counterparts to ensure this international event unfolds in a safe and orderly fashion," he said.

Fantino, whose tenure at the OPP has at times been marred by controversy, has been at the helm of the police force since 2006.

His original appointment was extended in March 2008 through to the end of October 2009.

A spokeswoman for Bartolucci said the government was pleased Fantino agreed to stay on for another eight months, and cautioned the short length of the extension "should not be interpreted as an indicator of anything positive or negative."

The usual appointment time is three years.

"Clearly, as evidenced by this extension, our government feels the leadership and experience of commissioner Fantino will prove valuable as Ontario works with our federal partners to provide the best possible security for an international event such is the G8 summit," said spokeswoman Laura Blondeau.

Sam Ciccolini, a principal at Vaughan-based Masters Insurance and a friend of Fantino's, dismissed questions about whether the timing of the appointment carried with it the suggestion of a mayoral run.

Rumours have been swirling for months that Fantino may be considering running for mayor of Vaughan, north of Toronto, in November 2010.

But Ciccolini said the extension relates only to the G8 summit.

"Julian is a seasoned police officer, he will always be a police officer, and I'm not sure whether any other avenues for aspirations are in the works," he said.

Fantino, who has often been seen as a polarizing figure, has been dealing with an internal disciplinary hearing involving two high-ranking officers, and fighting to have an adjudicator removed amid allegations he abused his power and acted unlawfully.

A search for his successor will begin next January.