The (second) biggest loser

Obscenely high and unsustainable policing costs. OPP bills are destroying communities its officers are supposed to protect. Apparent self-interest is cloaked in the guise of public safety needs. Where is the political outrage while OPP costs continue to climb? Who is going to bring policing costs in this province under control?

The (second) biggest loser

Postby Thomas » Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:50 pm

$5.2 million.

That's how much police costs in Haliburton County would increase with the new proposed OPP billing formula set to come into effect in 2015, taking the county's policing bill from $3.3 million a year to approximately $8.5 million a year.

A special meeting of the county's finance committee was held Wednesday afternoon to brainstorm ways to deal with the unaffordable hike.

With its four lower-tier townships combined, the county is the second-most adversely affected municipality in the province after the District of Muskoka, which would see its annual police costs jump from $9.7 million to $17 million.

“Maybe there are more losers out there we need to band together with,” treasurer Laura Janke told councillors.

Janke had researched the effects of the proposed changes, putting together charts for councillors.

Of the 323 Ontario municipalities served by the OPP, 190 would see their costs rise under the new formula, which seeks to equalize per household payments throughout the province at $369.

In Algonquin Highlands, annual costs would increase by $1.3 million to a total of $1.6 million; in Dysart et al an increase of $1.7 million would take costs to nearly $2.8 million; in Highlands East a $1 million increase would take its bill to $1.6 million; and in Minden Hills a $1.2 million increase would raise its annual police bill to $2.4 million.

The new formula would make policing costs about 25 per cent of each township's total expenditures.

Those figures heighten if examined as a percentage of the levy – the amount of money townships collect from their taxpayers.

In Minden Hills and Highlands East, police costs would require 40 per cent of the tax levy; in Algonquin Highlands 44; and in Dysart et al, 53 per cent.

“5.2 million is leaving the county and nothing is changing,” Janke said, explaining service levels would remain the same. “The model is flawed. It's wrong.”

It is rural communities that are facing increases.

“All of the urban centres are going down substantially,” Janke said.

More than 100 municipalities would see their expenses drop under the new formula, with the most drastic decrease at more than $4 million.

Janke, who disagrees with the per household model, noting that most taxation is done based on assessment, said councillors needed to look at some alternative frameworks that could be taken forward.

Minden Hills Reeve Barb Reid will represent the county on an OPP billing steering committee created by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Its first meeting is Friday and Reid believed the committee would be meeting on a weekly or biweekly basis.

“It's the seasonal residences that are pushing us through the roof,” said Dysart et al Reeve Murray Fearrey.

Under the OPP formula, seasonal and year-round residences are both weighted equally. Some 65 per cent of residences in the county are seasonal.

And while industrial and commercial properties do pay into policing costs, they don't factor into the formula.

They're not part of the headcount.

Janke suggested councillors look at a weighted model. If each seasonal residence in the county was counted as .5 of a residence, the annual $8.5 million cost would drop to approximately $5.7 million.

Reid found reassurance in that Muskoka was facing a similar challenge and the county plans to make contact with its neighbour to the west, as well as other “loser” townships.

“That creates a sense of optimism in me that we have a big brother next door,” she said.

Seventeen municipalities will be impacted with increases of $1 million or more, 24 between $500,000 and $1 million and 149 will see an increase of up to $500,000.

Janke said many in this latter category are looking at increases of maybe $100,000 or $200,000.

“They are not going to be looking at alternative police forces,” Janke said.

Municipal governments do not have to utilize the OPP and many local governments have their own forces.

The Police Services Act allows for local governments to create their own forces or form agreements with adjacent municipalities that have their own forces.

“There's a lot of alternative police forces out there,” Reid said, emphasizing some some are in small and mid-size communities. “I think there's more alternatives out there than we know about because we've never had to think about this before.”

Reid has been adamant that a message needs to be sent to the OPP that it's not the only game in town.

A costing model from the auditor general put annual price of an OPP officer at $159,000, including salary, benefits, accommodation and other associated costs.

Under this model, the county, at the $3.3. million it currently pays, pays for 21 officers. It has 29 in its contingent.

Under the new model, the $8.5 million it would pay would equate to 54 officers. But the county would still have 29.

“We're paying officers somewhere else,” Janke said.


“This is not an OPP decision, it's the government,” Fearrey said. “We're not fighting the OPP here. This is hardship. This is about something we can't afford. This is the biggest thing that's happened ever in our county to destroy us.”

The AMO steering committee expects to have its report completed in April.

http://www.haliburtonecho.ca/2014/02/12 ... gest-loser
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