A letter from RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald to mayors and CAOs is once again reminding local governments to plan and forecast for financial impacts, including retroactive costs, associated with RCMP collective bargaining. This letter comes following discussion by the BC Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee regarding the need to re-iterate this message to impacted local governments.
The RCMP has included a non-contractual planning estimate in Multi-Year Financial Plans (MYFPs) for planning purposes, and this figure was acknowledged by the national Contract Management Committee (CMC). RCMP-policed municipalities are advised that negotiated salary increases, or those imposed through third-party arbitration, could result in increases below or above this planning rate. BC local governments that wish to build contingencies that are higher than those included in the MYFP into their financial planning processes to mitigate potential fluctuations in negotiated rates or the possibility of arbitration, are encouraged to do so.
The second RCMP Collective Agreement, which included a 4% annual salary increase for two years, expired on March 31, 2025. Based on the timelines outlined in the second Collective Agreement, the National Police Federation could submit a notice to bargain as early as December 2024, which it did. Bargaining has picked up since the April 2025 federal election, but an agreement has not yet been reached.
UBCM continues to call on the federal government to consult directly with BC local governments as part of this process. In 2024, UBCM’s President requested a meeting with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Chief Negotiator, to discuss the third round of collective bargaining and re-iterate local government priorities and concerns. Although no formal response was provided, UBCM was advised via email that “engagements on collective bargaining will be through the CMC given that the issue is of importance and relevance to all contract jurisdictions.” In October 2025, UBCM re-iterated its request to the federal government.
Local governments continue to emphasize the importance of cost containment, given the rising cost of RCMP policing. The 2024 Police Resources in British Columbia publication notes that BC local governments over 5,000 in population spent $855.5 million on RCMP policing in 2024. This represents an increase of approximately 10% ($76.4 million) compared to the previous year. This amount does not include costs incurred as part of the Surrey Police Model Transition or by local governments under 5,000 in population, who contribute through the Police Tax. Although the federal government has been unwilling to meet directly with UBCM and the BC Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee, the cost concerns expressed by local governments, including members of the CMC, have been acknowledged.
Local governments over 5,000 in population that did not receive the RCMP’s correspondence, or who have questions regarding the non-contractual planning estimate, are asked to contact Bhar Sihota, UBCM Senior Policy Analyst.