After outcry from a number of small, rural municipalities, the provincial government has announced it will provide financial relief for increased OPP costs.
A new collective agreement this past summer between the Ontario Government’s Ministry of the Solicitor General and the OPP Association included salary increases of 4.75 per cent to be paid to cover 2023, 4.5 per cent in 2024, and 2.75 per cent in 2025 and 2026.
For the small rural towns that use the services of the OPP, that meant their costs were going up. South Bruce Peninsula is seeing a $400,000 increase (14.97 per cent). Arran-Elderslie’s cost is set to increase by $217,000.
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In November, South Bruce Peninsula passed a resolution calling for provincial government to take over the cost of policing from small rural municipalities of 10,000 people or fewer.
Now, the Ontario government is proposing to provide over $77 million in financial relief to municipalities to help offset the increased OPP cost.
The province said in a release November 29th, the money would help predominantly small and rural communities address the budget impacts resulting from the collective bargaining agreement.
The relief would include:
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.
South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Jay Kirkland says he’s not sure of the details yet about how much if any, of that funding will make its way to the Town. “It’s nice to see them giving the help,” says Kirkland but he adds, it’s unclear how much help it will work out to.
Kirkland says he’d like to see the Ontario Government completely take over the cost of provincial policing.
In its release, the province also says it will examine options for reviewing the OPP billing model.
Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said in a statement, “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.”
In a statement, Christa Lowry, Chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and Mayor of the Municipality of Mississippi Mills says, “ROMA welcomes provincial action to reduce the impact of increasing Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) costs on rural municipalities. In the context of inflation, infrastructure pressures, and a growing homelessness crisis, rural municipalities simply cannot afford a 20 per cent increase in OPP costs. This provincial investment acknowledges the escalating fiscal challenges municipalities face. We look forward to ongoing partnership to put rural municipalities on a sustainable path.”