Town of Osoyoos council will make another attempt to try and gets the provincial government to change its longstanding policy regarding the funding formula to pay for policing services.
The policy adopted by the province many years ago sees municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 have to pay 70 per cent of the costs for the RCMP to operate in their community, while communities under the 5,000 base only have to pay 30 per cent of the costs.
With the Town of Osoyoos expected to pass the 5,000 population threshold during the next national census in 2016, the costs of policing are expected to rise by as much as $500,000 annually after 2016.
With the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) annual convention set to take place in Penticton April 30-May 2, members of town council were asked Monday to consider some issues they would like dealt with during the upcoming convention.
Coun. Michael Ryan said the police funding issue should be brought up once again.
“I’ve always felt that 5,000 was too low and I would like to see it brought up to 7,500 or maybe 8,000,” said Ryan.
Coun. Sue McKortoff agreed.
“Ditto. I couldn’t agree more,” she said.
Mayor Stu Wells agreed and asked Ryan to write up a formal motion that could be forwarded to the SILGA board for the upcoming convention.
Wells said he will also considering presenting a motion that would allow municipalities to formulate their own bylaws relating to attempting to control the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels.
No invasive mussels have been found in any water body in British Columbia so far.
Several American States, including Idaho and Oregon, have initiated programs that allow officers to check water craft and motor vehicles once they leave lakes, rivers and streams to ensure these invasive mussels are kept under control.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
