‘This is a systemic issue that needs to be fixed’: Wasaga Beach mayor calls for OPP’s upper management to address skyroc

[Michael Jack]

Brian Smith to ask Simcoe County council to consider study for countywide police service

Wasaga Beach is calling on the province and the Ontario Provincial Police to address the “systemic issues” that appear to be driving skyrocketing costs for municipalities using the OPP.

At its meeting on Oct. 24, council unanimously approved a motion requesting the OPP limit the increase in their bill to the town to five per cent, which would be “more manageable for the town and in line with historical trends.”

The motion also asks that any increase over that five per cent be absorbed by the province, “as the additional costs are directly the result of collective bargaining that was within the control of the OPP and should have been known to be financially unsustainable for the municipalities that now need to pay the bill.”

The motion comes after the town was presented with a 23 per cent increase for policing in 2025, a nearly $1.3-million hike that would translate into a 1.6 per cent tax increase for homeowners.

The increase, to $6.7 million annually, was not contemplated in the first draft of the municipality’s spending plans for next year.

Mayor Brian Smith, who presented the motion, said the blame for the higher bill doesn’t lie with the local detachment, but with the provincial service’s upper management, who have failed to plan for issues such as increases in overtime and staff attrition as a result of retirements.

“This has to do with the next level in the OPP being able to plan ahead and ensure we have stability in policing across this province,” he said.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General reached out to Simcoe.com in response to our story about increased OPP costs for Collingwood and Wasaga Beach, indicating the ministry is promising to work with communities facing a significant rise in their bills for policing.

Wasaga Beach is calling on the province and the Ontario Provincial Police to address the “systemic issues” that appear to be driving skyrocketing costs for municipalities using the OPP.

At its meeting on Oct. 24, council unanimously approved a motion requesting the OPP limit the increase in their bill to the town to five per cent, which would be “more manageable for the town and in line with historical trends.”

The motion also asks that any increase over that five per cent be absorbed by the province, “as the additional costs are directly the result of collective bargaining that was within the control of the OPP and should have been known to be financially unsustainable for the municipalities that now need to pay the bill.”

The motion comes after the town was presented with a 23 per cent increase for policing in 2025, a nearly $1.3-million hike that would translate into a 1.6 per cent tax increase for homeowners.

The increase, to $6.7 million annually, was not contemplated in the first draft of the municipality’s spending plans for next year.

Mayor Brian Smith, who presented the motion, said the blame for the higher bill doesn’t lie with the local detachment, but with the provincial service’s upper management, who have failed to plan for issues such as increases in overtime and staff attrition as a result of retirements.

“This has to do with the next level in the OPP being able to plan ahead and ensure we have stability in policing across this province,” he said.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General reached out to Simcoe.com in response to our story about increased OPP costs for Collingwood and Wasaga Beach, indicating the ministry is promising to work with communities facing a significant rise in their bills for policing.

“We understand that some municipalities face additional costs due to their existing agreements with the OPP. We will work with these municipalities to ensure they are not negatively financially impacted by this,” the statement read.

The spokesperson declined to comment on questions of how the ministry would work with municipalities, or what would happen should a municipality decline to pay the increase.

The spokesperson also declined to comment on a question of whether the province would take on the costs of police calls to incidents within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.

Collingwood is also looking at a proposed 37 per cent increase in OPP costs for 2025, or nearly $2 million over the bill for 2024. That would equate to a 5.1-per-cent tax increase.

“A 37 per cent increase in OPP costing is too much for Collingwood residents to absorb, so we are happy to hear that the ministry plans to work with us to ensure our residents are not penalized with a 5.11 per cent property tax increase,” Collingwood mayor Yvonne Hamlin told Simcoe.com. “My door is open. I look forward to speaking with the ministry soon.”

The OPP has indicated it faces higher costs as the result of the latest contract for front-line officers and civilian staff, as well as a return to pre-pandemic levels in workload, and court security and prisoner transportation expenses.

Part of Wasaga Beach’s bill for next year includes an accommodation for about 2,000 hours of overtime, which Smith said is likely the equivalent of five full-time officers.

“This is a systemic issue that needs to be fixed,” he told Simcoe.com.

Smith would not speculate on what would happen should the province or the OPP not come back with an increase in line with the municipality’s motion. He did note that some mayors with whom he has spoken have signalled their municipalities may not pay the increase.

The motion is also asking Simcoe County to consider a feasibility study for a countywide policing service. Smith said he would present a notice of motion at county council’s next meeting for the study. The motion could either be considered immediately, or at the following meeting.

https://www.simcoe.com/news/council/thi ... c0a6f.html