Greater Napanee braces for steep policing costs increase

[Michael Jack]

Town of Greater Napanee Council received news of an Ontario Provincial Police billing increase during its meeting on Oct. 28.

And, despite a cap of 11 per cent, this could represent an additional three-per-cent increase to the levy. While the actual billing statement has yet to be released, the Ministry of the Solicitor General has indicated it will be issued before Nov. 30 of this year. In the meantime, council will be holding its collective breath and bracing for unusually difficult budget deliberations.

“You’ll recall, in 2025, we received a billing increase that had substantial rate changes upward of close to $1 million,” noted treasurer Ellen Hamel. “After advocacy efforts, those numbers were reduced to about $200,000, with an overall levy impact of 1.35 per cent.”

In fact, the 11-per-cent cap is a result of those advocacy efforts, and the ministry committing to a review of the Ontario Provincial Police cost recovery model.

A caveat in the staff report on this billing increase includes that service enhancements are excluded from the cap.

This billing increase, as Hamel noted, will have a direct impact on the 2026 budget. Furthermore, municipalities such as Greater Napanee have no say when it comes to OPP billing.

“We are simply required to bill that through our levy and, ultimately, it lands on the responsibility of the tax base,” said Hamel.

She also added that staff has no reason to believe their bill will come in below the cap.

Aside from the cap, other changes to the billing model were outlined in an official letter from the Officer of the Solicitor General, included in the staff report.

“A new discounts table will be established in regulation and will apply to the 2026 billing year and going forward,” wrote Michael Kerzner, the solicitor general. “This new discount table introduces a lower eligibility threshold to receive a discount. Municipalities will now receive calls for service and overtime discounts when they are three or more standard deviations from the average calls for service weighted time to property count ratio, rather than the current regulatory threshold of five standard deviations.”

While correspondence from the Officer of the Solicitor General talked about the perceived need for “greater clarity, predictability and stability in the OPP cost recovery model” there were still several questions about the new billing model around the horseshoe.

Coun. Angela Hicks sought clarity on what constitutes a service enhancement, and whether the municipality is “getting any of these.” She also questioned what was meant by “deviations.”

While Hamel noted the language was unclear, she questioned whether court security and prison transfer might fall under the umbrella of service enhancements. Meanwhile, CAO Matthew Grant added he would seek clarity regarding this terminology.

“We also have Quinte Detention Centre with over 100 beds and an expansion for another 60. All of that comes home to roost on our budget,” decried Hicks. “Why are residents paying for the OPP to go break up a fist fight in the detention centre? Why are we getting dinged for that?”

In responding to Hicks, the CAO did not mince words.

“Candidly, those services have nothing to do with municipal services whatsoever and we have been successful in the past in lowering billing criteria for callouts to the detention centre. But we are still getting billed for those. I am at a loss as to why we’re expected to pay that,” said Grant.

Grant also added that, if so directed, the town could explore cost-sharing opportunities with other municipalities that benefit from the aforementioned services in Napanee.

Councillor Bob Norrie, who is a member of the Police Services Board, promised to investigate whether or not court security overtime is billed to the municipality.

“Overtime comes out of the provincial budget,” he added.

Mayor Terry Richardson added to the conversation, stating he “doubted Napanee has any service enhancements” as these are often costly and, across the province, quite rare.

Despite the difficult conversation regarding OPP billing increases, the CAO was careful to note that the local detachment is not responsible for those increases.

“The local detachment is not responsible for billing,” he said. “We do have a good relationship with the local detachment, and they’ve been instrumental with work we’ve done, such as the encampment protocol.”

With recently announced budget directives from the mayor, including to limit any tax increase to investment in cores services, the OPP billing increase will pose a challenge.

As Grant pointed out, public safety will be one of the “largest cost-drivers” in the coming budget.

“We have some needs in the fire department, and policing of encampments and the like will continue to create challenges and costs,” said Grant.

In the spirit of clarity, council can expect a series of reports to identify needs, challenges and opportunities relating to the 2026 budget. Unlike previous years, budget deliberations will take place in January 2026.

Sarah Williams is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with the Napanee Beaver. The LJI is funded through the federal government.

https://www.thewhig.com/news/greater-na ... s-increase

[Michael Jack]

The Town of Greater Napanee is preparing for a possible 11 per cent jump in Ontario Provincial Police costs for 2026, a hike that could lead to a three per cent property tax increase.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, staff presented a report outlining projected costs and a letter from the Ministry of the Solicitor General dated September 26. The letter confirmed that the province will cap municipal policing increases at 11 per cent compared to 2025 levels. It also announced changes to discount tables, lowering thresholds for service and overtime discounts, which could help more municipalities qualify for cost relief.

Other public safety expenses are also expected to climb, including Fire Department equipment and encampment management.

The Ministry is expected to release 2026 OPP billing statements by November 30, 2025. Council has delayed its budget until January 2026 to allow more time to review the figures.

Written by Emily Chatwood

https://www.napaneetoday.ca/2025/10/30/93755/

https://www.kingstondaily.ca/news/the-k ... ise-taxes/

[Michael Jack]

A promised fix to the province’s costly Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) billing model hasn’t spared Napanee: even under an 11 per cent provincial cap, policing costs are expected to drive a three per cent tax levy increase next year.

Following the release of the 2025 OPP billing statements, which included significant and unexpected increases in policing costs for many municipalities, the Ministry of the Solicitor General committed to reviewing the OPP cost recovery model. At its Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, meeting, the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee learned that policing costs are set to rise again in 2026, despite the new provincial cap. Greater Napanee Treasurer Ellen Hamel and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Grant explained that the cap will result in about a $475,000 increase in the town’s OPP bill, translating into a three per cent increase in the municipal tax levy.

Hamel told Council that while the cap offers some predictability, the increase still represents a substantial budget hit.

“In 2025, we were provided a billing increase that had a substantial rate change — upwards of close to a million dollars,” she said.

“After advocacy efforts across the province, that increase was reduced to about two hundred thousand dollars, with a 1.35 per cent levy impact.”

The 2025 adjustment brought the Town’s bill down to $4,318,854, an increase of $205,000, or five per cent, over the previous year. But Hamel warned that 2026 could bring another steep rise.

“Going into 2026, OPP has indicated that our billing will have a cap of 11 per cent compared to 2025 levels,” she explained.

“That will equate to about a $475,000 impact on the levy — an additional three per cent increase.”

The actual 2026 billing statement has not yet been released, but is expected by Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, she said. Until then, municipalities must build their budgets on projections.

“We are given this bill and have very little say over it,” Hamel said.

“We are simply required to build that through our levy, and ultimately it lands on our taxpayers.”

CAO Grant noted that policing remains one of the Town’s most significant budget items.

“Public safety will be one of the largest cost drivers we’re going to face in 2026 — primarily the OPP,” he said.

“We do not have an opportunity to influence that budget; we are required to pay it.”

Grant added that policing of encampments and related cleanup costs continue to create additional pressures on bylaw and other departments.

“When reports like this come forward, we will issue a release the following day to make sure members of the public are aware of the budget environment we’re in,” Grant said.

The Town of Greater Napanee issued a press release regarding the OPP billing just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.

Several councillors voiced frustration at the complexity and opacity of the OPP billing model.

“Can anyone tell me what a service enhancement is — and are we getting any?” Councillor Angela Hicks asked.

“I see things like ‘from five standard deviations to three,’ and I don’t even know what that means. Does anybody have the code book for deciphering this?”

According to Hamel's report, the Ministry of the Solicitor General has indicated that new discount tables will be introduced, lowering the eligibility thresholds for calls for service and overtime discounts from five standard deviations to three, potentially increasing the number of municipalities eligible for relief. But the local officials said they still don’t know what that means for Napanee.

Grant confirmed that Town staff plan to seek clarification from the OPP.

“We will be asking those particular questions,” he said.

“We do know to expect a number of additional officers within the detachment — but we don’t know if that’s considered a service enhancement or not.”

Council also questioned why the Town continues to be billed for policing incidents at the Quinte Detention Centre (QDC), a provincial facility located within municipal boundaries.

“We have the Quinte Detention Centre with over 100 residents, expanding for another 60,” Hicks noted.

“The percentage of calls out there all comes home to roost on our budget. The taxpayers are paying for the OPP to go break up a fistfight in the detention centre. Why are we getting dinged for that?”

Grant agreed that the situation was inequitable.

“We’ve been successful in the past in lowering the billing criteria for callouts to the detention centre, so they were billed at a lower rate — but we’re still getting billed for those,” he said.

“Candidly, it has absolutely nothing to do with municipal services whatsoever. We’re just expected to pay that.”

Mayor Terry Richardson added that the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) system for provincial institutions is decades out of date. “

It’s currently $35 per bed, or something,” he said. “We get about $16,000 or $17,000 a year — and that hasn’t been updated in ages."

Hamel confirmed it had not been updated since 1987.

Hicks joked that they should begin levying a municipal accommodation tax on the QDC and send the bill to the solicitor general.

Councillor Mike Schenk wondered aloud why the costs of policing QDC and the provincial courts fall solely on one municipality rather than the entire county.

“If you have one Police Services Board, why not have one contract for the County? Of course, they’d have to increase their assessment, but don’t ding just us, you know what I mean?" Schenk expressed.

Councillor Bob Norrie, who chairs the Detachment Police Service Board, noted that the board is not involved in budget planning, but that he would do his best to get clarity on some unanswered questions.

As staff continue preparing the 2026 budget, the OPP billing increase is expected to result in a projected three per cent tax levy increase before any other municipal priorities are factored in, Hamel noted.

Grant emphasized the importance of keeping residents informed.

“We’re going to be upfront with the community about why taxes are increasing — and that the OPP billing largely drives this increase,” he said.

Council agreed to continue advocating for a fairer cost recovery model and greater municipal input into policing budgets.

Meetings of the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee can be viewed virtually (or watched afterward) on the Napanee Town Council YouTube channel or attended in person in Council Chambers at Napanee Town Hall, 124 John Street. Further information about Council meetings, including agendas and reports, is available on the Town’s CivicWeb portal.

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