The cost of policing is increasing for Bradford residents, but even more for neighbouring Innisfil.
Bradford council approved its portion of the 2024 Bradford West Gwillimbury/Innisfil Police Services Board's $25.29 million operating and $1.45 million capital budgets, during its regular meeting Dec. 19, ahead of regular budget discussions planned for the second week of January.
According to a report from Ian Goodfellow, director of finance and treasurer, Bradford’s share of the budget works out to nearly $12.58 million, or about 47 per cent, plus $125,000 to cover the costs of the South Simcoe Police Services South Division building at 81 Melbourne Dr.
That is to be funded with $64,446 of court security and prisoner transportation grant revenue, $237,150 from the police capital expenditure reserve fund, $489,524 from the town’s tax rate stabilization reserves and a $11.91 million property tax levy.
As a result, the average homeowner in Bradford (assessed at $516,919) is estimated to pay about $739 of property taxes for police purposes in 2024, an increase of about $27 — or 3.8 per cent — compared to 2023.
The police services of Innisfil and Bradford were amalgamated in 1997 and since 2010, the cost-sharing agreement between the two municipalities has been updated annually.
Bradford’s share of the costs will decrease in 2024 to about 47 per cent compared to about 47.5 per cent in 2023, while Innisfil’s costs will increase in 2024 to about 53 per cent compared to about 52.5 per cent in 2023.
According to the report about $134,092 of the cost-sharing responsibility has been shifted to Innisfil for 2024 as a result of Bradford’s population increasing by an estimated 234 households this year, compared to an estimated increase of 734 households in Innisfil.
“However, as the County of Simcoe has yet to adopt the required 2024 tax policies, the average house tax levy impact for police purposes may be subject to change,” Goodfellow notes in the report.
Council approved the report, budget and funding without discussion, but had already commented on a presentation from Chief John Van Dyke and board chair Chris Gariepy during its previous council meeting on Dec. 5.
At the time, Van Dyke explained the importance of an additional $960,176 in salaries to the operating budget, mostly for hiring eight new constables to help overcome the lack of staff, which has led to an overtime deficit of about $150,000, as the service deals with increasing calls for service coupled with increasing crime severity.
The chief also expanded on three proposed new civilian positions, including one person dedicated to writing applications for grants and funding to help reduce the cost of the service to the municipalities. The other two civilian positions include one additional Crown brief clerk for a total of three people to help file reports and free up time for officers to spend on patrol as well as one person to oversee the service’s new online reporting tool.
The presentation to council followed the chief’s verbal explanation of the budget to the board during their Oct. 25 meeting, during which Van Dyke estimated benefits and wages make up about 91 per cent of the total operating budget.
On the capital side, the service expects to spend $150,000 to rent 6,000 square feet of additional office space for administrative staff, and $300,000 for six new police cruisers, including four interceptors and two unmarked vehicles — all of which are planned to be hybrids that are better for the environment and reduce long-term costs by using less fuel.
Other expenses include:
- $158,494 for upgrades to the Bethesda communications tower in Innisfil
- $135,000 to cover the service’s 6.6-per-cent share of costs to update the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)
- $117,000 for the AXON body-worn camera subscription program (up $5,000 from last year due to proposed staff increase)
- $90,400 to replace computers
- $40,000 to transition from .40-calibre to 9-mm pistols
- $40,000 to upgrade buildings
- $40,000 to upgrade the service’s website (which will facilitate online reporting)
- $25,000 for new furniture
- $18,244 for the yearly charge to be part of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) project
- $15,700 for three new laser speed radars
- $3,000 for roadside screening devices
- An undisclosed amount for switches and battery replacements in the communication centre and at tower sites
- $87,000 for new building security
Some fees for reports, statements and record checks are also set to increase in 2024, for first time in five years.
Innisfil councillors should pass funding for their municipality's share of South Simcoe policing costs during town budget deliberations scheduled for Jan. 10.
