(file photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Municipalities impacted

Falk writes letter about city’s RCMP cost concerns

Dec 17, 2021 | 4:00 PM

Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk has stepped up to share the City of North Battleford’s concerns about increasing RCMP costs.

The city previously asked her to pursue the matter on the city’s behalf.

A large reason for the city’s tax increase in its 2022 budget is a response to increased RCMP policing costs. The federal government and the RCMP union recently completed negotiations for a five-year contact that is retroactive. The contract impacts all municipalities using RCMP policing services. The city estimated RCMP costs would go up by over 20 per cent.

Falk sent a letter to the federal government’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino about the issue, and the burden on municipalities.

“I would like to bring to your attention the state of severe financial uncertainty facing municipalities in my riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster and across the country, following the collective agreement negotiated between the Government of Canada and the National Police Federation this past summer,” she stated. “Despite not being consulted during the bargaining process, municipalities are being ladened with the financial implications of these labour negotiations.”

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She noted that Saskatchewan municipalities are not able to run deficits to cover the total amount of the increased costs, which forces them to have to either cut services or increase taxes significantly to compensate.

Falk also included letters related to the issue from the City of North Battleford, the Town of Cut Knife, and the Town of Wilkie that were previously sent to Bill Blair when he was the federal public safety minister.

“I urge you to review these letters and to work with municipalities to find a solution that will ensure the long-term economic health of our local governments,” she wrote.

In the City of North Battleford’s letter, Mayor David Gillan indicated while the municipality supports the RCMP’s right to collective bargaining, the city is “not in the financial position to absorb any significant costs arising from the tentative agreement.”

He added as negotiations were conducted between the federal government and the union, municipalities were not given the opportunity to provide input in the collective bargaining process or to raise concerns about the impact these decisions have on communities.

As well, the mayor said North Battleford employs a large contingent of Community Safety Officers (CSO) in addition to the RCMP as part of a coordinated effort to tackle crime.

Gillan said the increase in RCMP contract costs will result in an annual cost increase of between $837,569 and $1.07 million, or a 15.9 per cent to 20.4 per cent increase to policing costs, which impacts taxes.

Also of concern, in addition to the ongoing RCMP charges there will be a one-time retroactive wage payment that is estimated to cost $1.67 million in 2022.

“We ask that all retroactive pay increases which were negotiated by the federal government be paid by the federal government,” Gillan stated. “We believe it would be unreasonable and unfair to download these costs onto municipalities.”

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow