WESTLOCK — The Town of Westlock has amended its 2023 operating budget to reflect an additional $113,895 in policing costs for the first quarter of 2023.
At the July 10 Town of Westlock regular council meeting councillors voted 6-0 to amend the operating budget from $320,300 to $434,195, with the difference taken from last year’s surplus — Coun. Abby Keyes was absent.
“Our request to get out of our contract when our population went below 5,000 was granted. When we did our budget that decision had not been made,” said mayor Ralph Leriger. “We accept those costs now that we know we’re out of the other contract.”
During the original operating budget discussions last fall it was believed the town would be able to terminate its contract with the RCMP as the 2021 census indicated that the population was below 5,000.
The budget was prepared to reflect the lower rate, however since then, an agreement to cancel the contract has been reached and the town will no longer pay at the 70 per cent rate but at the 30 per cent rate as of April 1, 2023, and as a result, the budget for policing was short $113,895.
The federal government pays for 30 per cent of policing and the province pays for 70 per cent of the cost for all rural and urban municipalities with a population under 5,000 — in 2020 the province made a change that requires those municipalities to chip in 30 per cent of that 70 per cent. Urban municipalities over 5,000 pay the full 70 per cent and the province pays nothing.
“This request of administration is simply to recognize the difference in the cost for RCMP that the town is paying with our population reduced under 5,000,” said town CAO Simone Wiley, noting the fiscal year for the RCMP does not follow the calendar year so they have (outstanding) costs. “The last quarter’s invoice from December 2022 to March 31, 2023 (is) at 70 per cent rather than the 30 per cent so we have a shortfall of $113, 895.”
Councillors had no comments, questions or concerns but Leriger did note that “while we’re adding to our operating budget, we significantly reduced our cost of policing.”
