Whereas the Province recently proposed to provide over $77 million in financial relief to municipalities that obtain policing services from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP);
And Whereas, this proposed financial relief is aimed at helping municipalities balance their budgets and offset the increased costs resulting from the collective bargaining agreement reached between the province and the OPP Association in July 2024;
And Whereas, notwithstanding the fact that the collective agreement negotiated between the province and the OPP Association directly impacts the negotiations between the Police Service Board and the local municipal police service association, the province has not proposed any similar financial commitment to municipalities that provide policing services through a municipal police service board;
And Whereas, municipalities that provide local policing have also experienced an increase to the cost of providing police services to their community;
And Whereas, these municipalities also face challenges balancing their budgets as they navigate the complexities of providing adequate and effective policing services within the Community Safety and Policing Act framework, while at the same time funding upfront investments and ongoing maintenance of their capital assets including roads, water/wastewater, municipally owned recreational facilities and other tangible capital assets;
Now Therefore It Is Resolved that the Town of LaSalle call on the Ontario Government to provide equitable funding to all police services;
And Further That, this resolution be circulated to Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Solicitor General, Minister of Finance, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, MPP Leardi, all local MPPs in the area, and all municipalities with municipal police services.
Carried.