The latest for OPP costing from the Brockville - TopicsExpress



          

The latest for OPP costing from the Brockville Reporter: Brockvilles Ontario Provincial Police costing will not resume until sometime in 2015, after the provincial force has rolled out a new billing model that will cost municipalities an average of $355 per property next year. Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Yasir Naqvi confirmed the timeline Thursday afternoon but did not provide a more specific date on a lifting of the costing moratorium. In a conference call with media, the minister and Insp. Bert McDonald of the OPP’s municipal policing bureau unveiled the results of the police forces lengthy billing reform process. The new billing model will take effect January 1, 2015, and be phased in over a period of up to five years, giving municipalities time to adjust their budgets. Of the 324 municipalities now served by the OPP, 207 will see their costs increase, while 115 will see them drop. Two others, Sioux Lookout and Pickle Lake, are not included in the new formula due to special circumstances. The provincial government began the process to ensure the OPPs method of billing municipalities is fair, clear and consistent, Naqvi told reporters. “Our government will make the tough choices to make sure that we are being fair,” said the minister. The new model does not add costs, but redistributes existing costs, he added. However, the billing reform process does not address a key area of municipal concern – OPP wage increases, which will emerge from future collective bargaining and be factored into the municipal bills. The minister also declined to identify which municipalities will see their costs go up and which will see savings, adding the OPP will break the news individually to municipal officials as it makes the rounds in the fall. “We developed the new model from the top down,” said Naqvi. “Our next step is to make sure that we engage with municipalities. “I think we owe it to the municipalities to let them know first.” The new model will split policing costs into two categories: base costs, to be spread evenly, and calls for service, which will vary per municipality. Base costs, which include services such as routine patrols, crime prevention, RIDE programs and proactive policing, will take up about 60 per cent of the municipal bill and cost all municipalities $203 per property in 2015. Calls for service, or “reactive calls” to such things as crimes or vehicle collisions, will make up the other 40 per cent. McDonald said the two types of call added up should make for an average total cost for municipalities of $355 per property in 2015. New to the system is the inclusion of commercial and industrial properties, as well as households, to the calculation. Naqvi responded to concerns about salary hikes by comparing that $355 per property average to an average of $787 per property for “self-policed municipalities.” The OPP will provide municipal leaders with monthly detailed breakdowns of their calls for service, allowing them to find ways to cut costs, added Naqvi. “They will be able to direct very targeted crime prevention activities based on the information that the OPP provides to them,” said the minister. The billing reform, which updates a model in place since 1998, aims to correct a situation where some communities were charged less than $10 per household per year, while others paid more than $800, said Naqvi. Last fall, the billing reform interrupted Brockvilles controversial process of obtaining a costing from the OPP for a possible service contract. Mayor David Henderson said he is not surprised to see the final decision put over to 2015. (Please check this site for more coverage.) Poll Does the new billing model make you feel better about an OPP service contract? Thursday, August 14, 2014 Yes. Its a fairer distribution of policing costs. No. Salary increases are the most important factor. Vote or view results 0% 0 votes Yes. Its a fairer distribution of policing costs. 0% 0 votes No. Salary increases are the most important factor. « Return to Poll Readers comments »If you already have an account on this newspaper, you can login to the newspaper to add your comments. By adding a comment on the site, you accept our terms and conditions and our netiquette rules. Featured BusinessesContact us to Advertise » Retail THE JEWEL BOX Real Estate Brad Warren - Homelife Retail Giroux Sewing Centre Go to the Marketplace » Local Businesses Advertise with us Contribute Send Your Scoop! Share your story, photo or video about something youve seen. Send your story Subscription Start your day with Brockville Recorder Choose among a variety of subscription packages and stay up to date with convenient home delivery and our on the go digital e-edition.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 22:18:28 +0000

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