Whereas for local governments under the 5,000 population threshold, approximately 33 percent of local government policing costs are recovered by the Province via police taxes, and as soon as the population hits 5,000, the local government is required to fund 70 percent of the total cost for policing as described in the policing agreements; And whereas this can create sudden, large increases in the amount of funding required to address policing costs which can be an incredible, sudden and immediate financial shock for small local governments that are already struggling: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the provincial government to review the current model of funding police services for local governments reaching 5,000 population with consideration to establishing a graduated annual increase, once the 5,000 population has been reached, in policing costs from the 33 percent Police Tax to 70 percent of policing costs over a five-year period.
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Government is aware of and addressing concerns from municipalities with respect to the significant cost difference for residents moving from the Police Tax to full municipal responsibility for policing costs. For municipalities which emerged above 5,000 population as a result of the 2016 Canada Census, the Ministry assisted by agreeing to phase-in resources for their respective new RCMP Municipal Police Units. This resulted in a cost-savings to the municipalities over a two-year period. We are pleased to share that this policy will remain in effect for any emerging municipalities resultant from the 2021 Census. The Ministrys Policing and Security Branch has also added improvements to internal processes to better assist potential emerging municipalities, including earlier engagement with municipal staff and increased engagement to provide information to interested municipalities. The Police Tax will be further examined through the Policing and Public Safety Modernization project that is currently underway in the Policing and Security Branch, and consideration will be given to establishing a graduated annual increase. Extensive consultation with stakeholders, including municipalities through UBCM, will be essential when contemplating any policy or legislative change in relation to the project, such as the Police Tax.