RCMP HQ costs will affect WL Taxpayers...

In a story yesterday - The Vancouver Sun reported costs for the new RCMP Division E HQ will affect all municipalities where the RCMP operate in their jurisdiction with the exception of Vancouver, Nelson, New West, West Vancouver and Port Moody and 6 other jurisdictions in BC with their own independent police departments

The Kamloops Daily News reports estimates in the RCMP's fiscal plan for next year (2014) show municipalities could pay $1,200 per member

Impacts to municipalities could range from $1,000,000 for Surrey, $500,000 for Burnaby and $150,000 for Kamloops

The provincial government has already stated its' opposition to this increased expenditure.  Municipalities do have the "two year opt out" clause if they still feel that a independent municipal force is better for their taxpayers

Read the Vancouver Sun article here and the Kamloops Daily News article here

Closer to home - using the City of Williams Lake as an example - these new downloaded costs could see policing costs for the City rise by $50 to $70,000 extra per year.  Something, I imagine, not currently budgeted and that's before the City discusses two other budgetary items affecting our local RCMP - the current RCMP Building and jail patrons & a report on this is expected to come forward in November to WL Council.  Decisions on these two items will need to be made by WL Council prior to RCMP Insp. Warren Brown's request for an extra $500,000 per year for a Crime Team (4 officers and 1 civilian) be considered…

What was going to be a tough 2014 budget exercise for Williams Lake Council is now going to be even more tougher and these downloaded HQ costs by the RCMP - E Division are not ones that Williams Lake Council will have the power to refuse…

-- SBF