MPP says increased policing costs are unacceptable

[Michael Jack]

Eganville – Realizing the shock Ontario municipalities received recently when they were informed of the new policing costs for 2025, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski agrees something has to be done at the provincial level to soften the blow.

Municipalities were recently notified that costs for services provided by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are increasing anywhere from 17 to 27 percent in Renfrew County with increases being in the same range for all Ontario municipalities policed by the OPP.

The reason for the huge increases is the result of the province and the Ontario Provincial Police Association ratifying a four-year collective agreements for uniform and civilian employees.

“We certainly heard about it from municipalities and how it is going to affect their own budgets and what the increase will mean to taxes in their municipalities,” he said.

Members of the PC party, particularly those whose ridings are policed by the OPP, have had discussions about the increases and they all agree the increases will be hard for municipalities to absorb.

“There is no question about it that something is going to have to be done at the provincial level to alleviate some of that burden,” he said. “How that works out at this point or what measures are actually going to be taken, I can’t speak to that now, but we are quite aware of the impact this is going to have on the budgets of municipalities.”

Mr. Yakabuski said all but one of the 19 municipalities in his riding is affected by the increased costing. The only exception is the Town of Deep River which has its own police service.

“I have certainly raised the issue among my colleagues., including the Solicitor General and the Minister of Finance and I know that many of my other rural colleagues are doing the same,” he said.

Mr. Yakabuski said his colleagues agree that this kind of increase municipalities are facing is difficult if not impossible for municipalities to absorb on their own.

“Municipalities have far less flexibility in how they raise revenue and we are definitely going to have to look at how we are working with them,” he said.

Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy, who was the first municipal politician in the county to raise the alarm about the pending increases, told her council at last week’s meeting that her “foot is firmly on the gas pedal” and she has no plans to let up on the issue.

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