The increasing cost of policing in the region is still top of mind for Simcoe County councillors.
During Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting, Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor James Leduc attempted to table an amendment to reduce a portion of the county’s 2025 budget that, if passed, could have reduced the levy transfer to the economic development and planning reserve to .5 per cent. This, in turn, would have lessened the overall levy increase to 3.125 per cent.
The reason for the request, he explained, was that many of the county’s municipalities are dealing with some “major policing budget asks.”
“I know we are all dealing with these big impacts … and I’d prefer to make sure we can fund our policing that we need to fund," said Leduc. "When it boils right down to (it) policing is the most important part of our community and I think we need to make sure that if we have the opportunity to drive those funds into our policing that we do that.
“With the state of the economy and what’s happening south of us, it's going to have impacts. I am prepared to pay into our policing services for this year and next," he added. "I am looking to make sure we have funds to support that. The key is to support our community’s safety and this is a big part of (how) our budgets were impacted this year.”
Although the amendment was ultimately defeated after council went in camera to discuss the various economic development projects in the works, Leduc initially explained he felt it was a place where the county could tap into the 2025 budget and save residents some money while also delivering into community safety programs.
Of the county’s 16 member municipalities and two separated cities, the only municipalities not covered by Ontario Provincial Police are Barrie, which has its own municipal police force, and Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil, which are jointly served by the South Simcoe Police Service.
The news of a major OPP contract cost increase came as a shock to many towns and townships using the OPP services when new contracts came to councils late last month, including Collingwood, where there's a 37 per cent increase to the OPP bill this year. Orillia is expecting a 25 per cent increase, while Midland is expecting a 26 per cent hike.
“As soon as the amendment got woven into trying to offset the spike in policing costs, that’s where it lost me," said Midland Mayor Bill Gordon, who is a former member of Midland Police Services, which disbanded in 2018. "We can’t be doing the province any favours here in trying to absorb and obfuscate what damage it’s done to our financial capacity.
"In our case, a 26 per cent increase in one year,” he added. “This is well-meaning, but why are we trying to make the province look good? They should be stepping up right now as they pledged to do. If we are talking about potentially crippling the financial capacity of this county and the projects … that staff have said we need for 2025 to advance … and to do it solely to blunt the sharp increase that’s been put upon us by the province … I think we are doing it for the wrong reason.”
Gordon said the county should not be giving the province “any hall passes” on the issue.
“We should be showing our residents … what the actual impact is to their taxes, whether we choose to mute them by living off our credit or draining our reserves we need to show them what the impacts are and that they’re getting absolutely nothing more for it,” he said.
Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin reminded councillors that when sitting in the council chambers, they need to remember they are wearing their “county hat.”
“While we do have pressures at our local municipal level, we can’t use this budget to make room in our local municipalities," she said. "When we are sitting here we are to have the foresight to know we are building reserves with intent.
"At our last meeting, this house (we) came to a compromise and I think everyone was comfortable with the number," Coughlin added. "Taking this extra step to make room at our local level is not responsible. We need to continue on the path to put the county first and what the county is going to need in the future.”
Later in Tuesday's meeting, county council received copies of resolutions passed by local councils in the Township of Essa and the Town of Midland regarding the OPP Annual Billing Statement. Both municipalities indicate they can’t afford to absorb what they call an “unexpected and entirely preventable increase without causing undue financial strain to our taxpayers.”
Essa specifically noted its intention to dispute the 2025 OPP Annual Billing Statement and requested that the increase be lowered to around two per cent, noting it would be “more manageable for the township and in line with historical trends."
Essa also requested that any increase above two per cent be absorbed by the province, noting the additional costs are “directly the result of collective bargaining that was within the control of the OPP and should have been known to be financially unsustainable for the municipalities that now need to pay the bill."
Midland’s resolution, meanwhile, added that it was “apparent that the Ontario government has overlooked the needs of Ontario’s small urban municipalities,” all of which are facing “insurmountable challenges to fund both upfront investments and ongoing maintenance of their capital assets," such as roads, water/wastewater and municipally owned buildings, including recreational facilities, libraries and other capital assets.
A 26 per cent increase for one year — which equates to approximately $1 million (roughly a four per cent tax increase for the town) — was something Midland never projected.
The resolution then called on the provincial government to immediately implement sustainable funding for small urban municipalities by “reabsorbing the cost of the OPP back into the provincial budget with no cost recovery to municipalities.” The town also requested the OPP Billing Model be referred to the Auditor General for review.
Essa Mayor Sandie Macdonald told county council that, since her municipality's letter was sent to the province, they have received a deputation from the Nottawasaga OPP detachment, which polices Essa, Adjala-Tosorontio and New Tecumseth.
“They have worked very diligently to try to minimize (the financial impact),” she said. “With all the letters that were sent out, I think Premier (Doug) Ford’s government has had to hear us loud and clear. I really do believe that we will see something that will minimize the costs that everyone is experiencing.
“We are very pleased with the service that the OPP is giving us," added Macdonald. "We just can’t afford that increase of cost and I hope that everyone that is being serviced by the OPP has given a letter, or reached out to the premier’s office.”
