By Pepper Parr
November 23rd, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Regional Council learned on Wednesday last week that the police funding request was not actually before Regional Council for approval today. Regional Clerk Graham Milne explained: “As you’re aware, the process is to receive the presentation, first ask questions. The decision point will come at the December 11 regular meeting of Council.
Police Services Board Chair Jeff Knoll and Police Chief Tanner seated present their budget to Regional Council.
“If Council chooses to take an action at that time, the process would be by either a notice of motion or an amendment to the regional report on the budget and business plan, which will be included in the forthcoming agenda.
“Under the new community safety and policing act, Council cannot amend specific line items in the funding request from the police upon reviewing the proposed police budget. Council’s role is to set the overall budget that provides the Police Board with sufficient funding to comply with CISPA its regulations and to pay the expenses of the board’s operation.”
The new police budget approval process is as follows.
First, the Police Board submits their operating capital estimates for the year.
Regional Council then reviews the estimates and either accepts the proposed budget or establishes their own budget.
If it is the latter, and the Police Board rejects this budget established by council, both parties must jointly apply to the chair of the Ontario Police Arbitration Adjudication Commission, (OPAC) to appoint a conciliation officer,
or the Police Board can move the matter straight to arbitration.
If the matter cannot be resolved by the conciliation officer, both parties can jointly appoint an arbitrator, or have one appointed by the Commission chair.
Any decision by the arbitrator that results in the budget being amended in accordance with same therefore, Council’s options at the December 11 meeting are approve the budget as presented, or set a new budget that it deems will fulfill the region’s obligations.
There’s no provision for Council, under the legislation, to appoint a third party independent reviewer for an alternate opinion on the funding request.
Further, neither party may make a unilateral request for a conciliation officer, as this must be a joint request.
However, the Police Board may skip this step and refer the matter directly to arbitration.
After receiving the region’s revised budget, Council could request a cost estimate from a third party agency such as the Ontario Provincial Polie or the Hamilton Police or the Peel Police as the justification for the revised budget. These estimates can take a significant amount of time to obtain.
If the Region and the Police Board pursue the conciliation option, a conciliation officer has 14 days to confer with the parties and attempt to resolve the dispute. An extension of time may be granted if both parties agree, or the commission chair extends it on the advice of the conciliation officer.
Should the attempt at conciliation fail, the matter automatically removes arbitration. The arbitration decision on the budget would be based on whether another service provider, such as the OPP or the RCMP or another municipal police service could provide the same services and meet the applicable standards for adequate and effective policing at a lower cost.
If the answer to that is no, the arbitration process would find in favor of the Police Board’s original funding request.
That is a brief outline of Council’s options and how it would work.
Five of the seven members of Burlington City Council were in the room. Councillor Stolte took part virtually. Councillor Galbraith did not participate. These Councillors knew it would be at least 15 days before there was a decision from the Region and yet they are going to meet on Monday as a Special Council meeting called by the Mayor to endorse the budget as it stands.
There is word that the Mayor may not get the endorsement she wants.
If you read the convoluted process involved in getting a Police Services budget approved – this could be stretched out for month – but in the end the police will get what they want.
The way these things play out is: the police push for as much as they can – when they realize they are approaching a limit that the councillors just can’t go beyond, compromises are made and the budget gets passed with an understanding that the items wanted will get included the next time around.
On a slightly different level, the Ontario Police offer policing services on a contract basis to communities that are too small to operate a police service.
The 2025 Police budget is 13% higher than the 2024 budget – which is what has everyone gulping.
It is even tougher for the smaller levels of municipal government where the policing is provided by the OPP on a contract basis.
The OPP has advised their clients that price hikes at the 30% increase level with one tiny community being told that their costs will increase 100%.
There is a different level of policing taking place across the country; the work is far more dangerous and the costs increase at double-digit levels – annually.
There is a change taking place in the level of policing service that is now being provided. Police are facing a different policing challenge.
Many people were stunned when they learned that a police sniper was on duty at the Burlington Remembrance Day ceremony beside city hall.
It was obvious to us that a police sniper was on duty and we were grateful for it. It is a different world we live in and unfortunately we need to ensure such gatherings are provided with the security we need.