The Town of Osoyoos hasn’t paid any money to the RCMP so far in 2017 because it no longer has a contract with the provincial government.
“We have not made a payment to the RCMP (for 2017) because we have no contract as of yet,” said CAO Barry Romanko, during a presentation to Town of Osoyoos council on Monday. “We have not heard back from the province. I think the election is having some influence on the timing.”
The town currently does not have a contract with the current NDP provincial government, which helps manage the costs for the RCMP, which is Canada’s federal police service.
Back in early spring, the Town of Osoyoos discovered policing costs would increase by a significant amount as the latest Canadian census revealed the town’s population has exceeded 5,000.
Under provincial statute, towns that exceed 5,000 in population are on the hook for 70 per cent of policing costs, instead of 30 per cent.
In Osoyoos, this meant a budget increase of more than $350,000 for 2017 and more than $500,000 per year as this year’s figures only include the costs from April until the end of the calendar year.
Council instructed Romanko in the spring to send a letter to the provincial government detailing concerns over the huge increase in policing costs.
Romanko told council on Monday he has not received any reply to the letter.
The Town also launched an appeal of its census designation, hoping a review of the final figures would indicate the population remained under 5,000 and save local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in policing costs until the next census is completed in five years.
Romanko said he has been informed a response to the appeal process could take as long as 18 months.
Coun. C.J. Rhodes asked Romanko what would happen if the Town paid out significant dollars in policing costs, but was successful in its appeal.
“If in fact we do come to some resolution and a contract, and then our census shows that we are below 5,000, my assumption would be the province would refund any monies that we’ve paid,” said Romanko.
It’s believed the Town has placed funding to pay for policing costs in a bank account and will forward the money to the province once a new contract is signed.
Council passed its 2017 budget in May calling for a 3.9 per cent tax increase, with two per cent of that increase designated specifically to pay for increased policing costs.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
