Province to provide relief for increased OPP costs

[Michael Jack]

The Ontario government has announced some relief for communities grappling with spikes in their OPP policing bills.

On Nov. 29, the government announced it was proposing to provide more than $77 million in financial relief to municipalities to help offset increased costs in police services provided by the OPP in 2025. The government also announced it was continuing its annual $125 million court security and prisoner transportation transfer payment program for 2025 for municipalities that host provincial courthouses.

Many municipalities across Ontario, including several in Grey-Bruce that contract the OPP for their policing, have expressed concern about an increase to their bills in 2025.

Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody said the previous week his municipality was looking at a 30 per cent increase in costs over this year, which he described as a “double whammy” because they are home to a courthouse.

Among other Grey-Bruce municipalities looking at significant increases included Meaford at about 25 per cent, Georgian Bluffs at about 22 per cent, Grey Highlands at about 21 per cent and South Bruce Peninsula at about 15 per cent.

Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen said on Nov. 29 that any relief is good news for his municipality with the increased pressures on their general budget overall.

“The original model was going to contribute an increase of 2.4 per cent to our budget,” said McQueen. “Any reduction to that is good news.”

In the release, the province said the investment will help predominantly small and rural communities by offsetting the 2025 impacts of OPP salary increases.

In July, OPP officers ratified a new four-year contract that covers 2023 to 2026. The deal includes retroactive raises of 4.75 per cent in the first year, followed by a 4.5 per cent increase in the second year and 2.75 per cent increases in Year’s 3 and 4.

The proposal includes: a 3.75 per cent bill reduction on 2023 total reconciled costs; a 44 per cent bill reduction on 2023 reconciled overtime costs; and a 10 per cent bill reduction on amounts invoiced for 2025 policing costs, the release said.

“Our government is working closely with our municipal partners and our women and men in uniform to keep communities across Ontario safe,” Ontario Solicitor General Michale Kerzner said in a news release. “The financial relief we are proposing will help municipal leaders balance their budgets and invest in their communities while ensuring no change to the policing provided by the OPP that keeps families and businesses safe.”

The province will also be examining options for reviewing the OPP billing model to ensure that it meets the needs of communities across the province, the release said.

The OPP billing model implemented in 2015 includes a charge per household for base level services along with a charge based on the number and type of calls for service.

Association of Municipalities of Ontario president Robin Jones said in a statement that the organization is pleased the government has listened to concerns about the increase in OPP billing costs.

“Without the provincial action, the rise in OPP costs would have significantly impacted small, rural and northern communities serviced by the OPP,” Jones said. “Municipal fiscal sustainability is under pressure across Ontario, and municipalities struggle to balance their budgets. This proposition is an important recognition of this challenge and will help support quality of life for residents across the province.”

https://www.greybrucethisweek.ca/news/l ... pp-costs-4