‘OPP shock’ hits Armour budget

[Thomas]

New billing model doubles costs for township’s policing, drives hike

BURK’S FALLS – The cost of policing discussed at Armour’s first budget meeting could only be described as the “OPP shock.”

Armour Reeve Bob MacPhail said the first meeting was to learn what was going on within the township, and that’s when council learned what the Almaguin Highlands Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was asking for.

“The OPP shock,” he said. “Well, the cost doubled. We are paying 100 per cent more [than last term.]”

In 2014, Armour paid the OPP $186,503. To phase the new cost in, the township will pay an extra $42,000, totaling $229,096 for 2015. By 2019, the OPP estimates it will bill Armour $373,125 annually.

“After four years, it basically doubled,” MacPhail said.

This is the first year for a new OPP billing model, which is charging municipalities on a per-household basis instead of the previous formula calculated on calls for service. The billing method was recently presented to Powassan council, resulting in a 15 per cent increase this year and made policing the most expensive budget line.

In previous years, Armour has raised taxes to coincide with the rate of inflation. With this rate and the cost of the OPP, it has already become an expensive year in Armour.

“Armour has a tradition of raising taxes by the cost of inflation,” MacPhail said. “It’s a five per cent increase just to start with.”

With these numbers right out the gate, MacPhail said council has a little more thinking to do.

“It’s a starting point you don’t want to be at,” he said.

By the next budget meeting, council has asked the new treasurer to do some number crunching and work out exactly what the items on the list will cost.

“We’ll have a good idea in a month,” MacPhail said. “We’ll have two more budget meetings and some percentages that are realistic.”

“We have to work in that five per cent,” he said. “We have to be cautious.

“We do acknowledge that five per cent and we know we can’t get away from it.”

Council had plans for infrastructure repairs within the township, specifically bridge repairs.

“Bridges have to be attended to,” MacPhail said, adding if some bridges were in dire need for repair, council would consider borrowing money.

“We have asked the treasurer to go back and to crunch some numbers,” he said. “We’re just in the initial stage.”

“We don’t want to see a ten per cent increase,” he said. “But it is tough these years.”

“It’s too bad the OPP cost changed,” MacPhail said. “That’s two-and-a-half per cent we could have used. But, it is what it is.”

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