City councillors had some big numbers thrown at them this week as budget talks ramped up.
A big one every year is city police, while Simcoe County and the Barrie Public Library board also made their pitches to council.
With several members of the police department's senior command in the gallery, Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood outlined the Barrie Police Service's request for funding in 2019.
The Barrie Police Services Board is asking for $53.3 million, which is a 2.8 per cent increase over last year.
Salaries, benefits and overtime make up 97.8 per cent of the department's total budget request, or approximately $50.4 million.
The lion's share is officer and civilian salaries, including a 3.2 per cent increase this year, but cost-savings are being found in other areas, Greenwood said, such as the "civilianization" of certain jobs.
The police department has been moving officers away from certain jobs, such as communications and front-desk staff, by hiring civilians to fill those posts. This allows officers to respond to calls for service, the chief said.
In 2018, the Barrie Police Services' ratio of officers to civilians was 239-110, for a total of 349 employees. That ratio could jump to 241-115 with the hiring of two more police officers as well as five civilians in 2019.
In 2017, the department had a sworn officer-civilian ratio of 237-108. As more civilian posts are created, the projection is for that ratio to be 247-124 by 2021 with 371 employees.
Using a "cop-to-pop" formula, or officers per capita, Greenwood said the national average is 188 officers per 100,000 people. In Ontario, that number is 185 while the City of Barrie sits at 159 officers per 100,000 residents.
A pair of new constables are expected to be hired this year.
The new civilianization approach is more sustainable, Greenwood said. In the coming years and as technology improves, she said positions within the forensic identification unit could be replaced with scientists.
"This strategy results in the recruitment and acquisition of talented individuals and allows for the redeployment of sworn officers to front-line duties," she told council.
The police budget would also include just under $4.2 million in operating expenditures, which is on par with last year, including increases in IT maintenance ($150,000) and insurance ($21,000), as well as a one-time contribution to the Child Advocacy Centre ($90,000), a facility where children and youth are sometimes interviewed and examined during an investigation.
Since opening in September 2017, Greenwood said more than 200 investigative interviews have been conducted at the Child Advocacy Centre.
The police budget also includes 2.7 per cent for buildings, or $1.4 million, which is down slightly from 2018.
The department operates out of four buildings, including headquarters on Sperling Drive, two facilities on Bell Farm Road, and at the downtown bus terminal.
The police force will be moving into the new Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus on Fairview Road in 2020, which is now under construction.
Greenwood said she anticipates cost-savings in a "one-setting environment" once the move into the new headquarters occurs.
The budget also includes about $6 million to offset costs, including grants ($4.4 million), secondments to external agencies ($940,000) and general revenue ($750,000), through avenues such as criminal record checks, paid duty and false alarms.
The police department's proposed capital budget of around $1.5 million is down slightly from years past. It includes money for the vehicle fleet ($700,000), computers ($370,000), radio system upgrade ($147,000), radio equipment ($137,000) and specialized police equipment ($122,000).
The radio upgrades are needed to provide adequate coverage in the annexed land in the city's south end, the chief said, noting money has been earmarked over several years to help cover this cost.
LIBRARY AND COUNTY
Officials from the Barrie Public Library and the County of Simcoe also spoke to city council this week in their bids for funding.
Barrie Public Library vice-chair Austin Mitchell presented a proposed 2019 operating budget, which includes total expenditures of $8.6 million in 2019.
The library, which also receives provincial grants and has contracts with neighbouring townships, is looking to the city to provide just over $8 million, or a 4.01 per cent increase of $309,000.
The library operates two branches, including one downtown on Worsley Street and the other in the south end's Painswick area on Dean Avenue.
Mitchell said library programs have been well-received and in-person visits have increased substantially last year, signifying the need for expanded services. He said electronic resources, such as e-books, are up 24 per cent, while total circulation has increased nominally at two per cent.
A master facilities report from last year identified the need for new branches in the Salem and Hewitt's secondary plan areas in the south end, which will see massive development in coming years.
Meanwhile, a trio of officials from the County of Simcoe, led by Jane Sinclair, also made a presentation to city council.
The county is seeking just over $22 million from Barrie in operating and capital funding this year, a 7.5 per cent increase from the city’s 2018 share of $20.5 million.
The 7.5% increase breaks down to $1 million for Barrie’s share of county capital projects in 2019 and nearly $500,000 for operating costs.
The county provides a number of services to Barrie, including long-term care and seniors services, paramedics/land ambulance, Ontario Works, children and community services, and social housing.
The city accounts for about 34 per cent of all paramedic calls for service, with an estimated call response time of six minutes and 16 seconds, compared to 7:42 elsewhere in the county.
Other county projects in the city include the Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus, which will include space for paramedics, an Ontario Works office in the city and a motel conversion project on Essa Road.
The city's share of the police, library and county operating and capital budgets is funded through Barrie’s annual business plan and operating budget.
Council direction to city staff, on the operating budget, would result in a 3.08 per cent property tax increase for Barrie homeowners this year, including a two per cent base increase, one per cent for infrastructure renewal and 0.08 per cent for legislative changes.
Water rates are set to increase by 3.44% this year and wastewater (sewer) rates by 3.39 per cent.
General committee will receive a staff report for its meeting on Monday, Jan. 21, when this year’s budget will be deliberated by council.
Council's approval of the city budget is expected Jan. 28.
