OPP bill brings tax increase for township

Obscenely high and unsustainable policing costs. OPP bills are destroying communities its officers are supposed to protect. Apparent self-interest is cloaked in the guise of public safety needs. Where is the political outrage while OPP costs continue to climb? Who is going to bring policing costs in this province under control?

OPP bill brings tax increase for township

Postby Thomas » Fri Dec 12, 2014 6:02 am

As expected, the new OPP billing formula that will come into effect in 2015 will likely translate into a sizeable tax increase for Minden Hills residents.

The township’s new council held a preliminary budget discussion during an orientation session with staff at the Minden Hills Community Centre on Dec. 4.

Passed by the provincial government in August, the billing formula will nearly double Halburton County’s collective OPP bill from approximately $3.3 million to approximately $6.3 million during the next five years.

The increase is being phased in during that time.

In Minden Hills, the OPP bill will increase 57 per cent from approximately $1.1 million to approximately $1.9 million.

For 2015, the first year of the phase-in, the township’s OPP requisition will jump by nearly a quarter-million dollars, from $1.2 million to approximately $1.47 million.

This increase equates to a 4.1 per cent tax increase for Minden Hills residents and councillors seemed to agree that, with the increase out of the township’s control, the only option is for taxpayers to bear it.

“We’re not going to limit our future ability to do things,” said Reeve Brent Devolin, who was staunchly against cutting services to help come up with the money. “We’re going to have to pay that. I’m not for cutting services. I think it’s a huge step back.”

Deputy-reeve Cheryl Murdoch agreed.

“That is not the way to go,” she said. “When you start cutting services, that’s a slippery slope.”

Murdoch and her county council colleagues lobbied the Liberal government throughout 2014 to reconsider the formula, which redistributes OPP costs evenly among all the households in the province.

Because the model weights seasonal residences and year-round residences evenly, cottage communities are getting hammered, with councillors arguing the formula is flawed and unfair.

“You fought very hard on that issue,” Devolin said, applauding members of the former county council, including predecessor Barb Reid.

It is likely Minden Hills residents will face a tax increase of at least 5.2 per cent in 2015, as there will also be a growth in assessment value of approximately 1.1 per cent.

Property taxes are based on valuations by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

At this early stage, it’s unclear whether the township will be able to adequately maintain operations with a 1.1 per cent increase.

Wages for 2015 are set to increase two per cent, as per a collective agreement that expires at the end of the year.

The township will see an increase in provincial funding in 2015. It will be receiving $25,000 annually from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and its equalization payments from the OMPF – Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund – will increase this year.

“We are getting about $65,000 more than we did last year,” chief administrative officer/treasurer Lorrie Blanchard told councillors. “Those two [items] will help.”

In Algonquin Highlands, councillors are exercising a similar philosophy, that the OPP bill increase is out of the township’s control and will be carried by taxpayers. “We still have to grow the community,” Reeve Carol Moffatt told the paper.

Council is considering a target that would cover the OPP bill, include growth and an additional two per cent, although, as Moffatt noted, “that’s all subject to change when we get to the ‘slice and dice’ portion of our process.”

Algonquin Highlands, which had the lowest per household cost for OPP services in the county at $76, will see the most drastic increase of the county’s four townships, with its police bill increasing 230 per cent during the phase-in period.

It will grow from $330,000 to approximately $1,075,000.

The average per household cost for OPP services is expected to be $355 when the phase-in is complete.

The formula includes 60 per cent for fixed, base costs – at $203 – with the remaining 40 per cent of a community’s bill coming from calls for service.

Dealing with the weight of the OPP billing formula was not the only topic of discussion for councillors last Thursday.

Councillors talked about advisory committees, policies, the possibility of live-streaming meetings and more.

Murdoch said she thought the township had too many committees and that some of their functions overlap and urged reorganization of committees in the new year.

Devolin suggested that at least some committees should be chaired by members of the public, some of whom he said have expertise that outweigh that of councillors.

“To pass them over so they can’t be the chair of a committee, I think we’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said. “We don’t want to lose their knowledge and expertise.”

“Some of the best chairs were community members,” Murdoch said.

It has been common practice for citizens to chair township advisory committees, until councillors were made the chairs of all committees in a contentious 4-3 vote near the beginning of the last council term.

Blanchard told council she’d like to put together a working group to go through and suggest changes for the township’s policies, some of which she said needed “cleaning up.”

A number of township policies were changed during the last council term.

The working group will consist of Murdoch, Councillor Jeanne Anthon and Councillor Pam Sayne.

“I know where some of those policies were changed,” Murdoch said.

Councillors asked staff to look into the logistics and costing of live-streaming council meetings, as well as the possibility of laptop computers for council chambers.

“Certainly, part of my intention in coming to the head of council is to increase transparency to the public,” Devolin said, emphasizing that live-streaming council meetings could be part of this, allowing residents to watch the meetings via the Internet.

Councillor Lisa Schell was skeptical of the laptop idea.

“We’re talking about using them twice a month, when most of us already have one,” Schell said.

Council also discussed salaries and benefits.

Councillors receive pay increases in step with those given to staff.

The reeve’s salary sits at $25,970; deputy-reeve $20,777; and councillors $17,530.

Councillors are offered a Manulife flex plan, where they pick and choose benefits, customizing a plan.

The township pays up to $260 a month per councillor for benefits. Costs after that are automatically taken off pay cheques.

Mileage is paid on a sliding scale based on the price of gas and is for transportation to and from council meetings.

Additional trips require council approval.

By Chad Ingram

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