Skip to content

South Simcoe police table 'responsible and pragmatic' budget with 4.6% increase

Chief outlines where some of those dollars will go as demand for service continues to rise in both Innisfil and Bradford
Chief Andrew Fletcher
South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher is shown in a file photo.

 

The Bradford West Gwillimbury-Innisfil Police Services Board approved the proposed 2021 budget for the South Simcoe Police Service at their November meeting.

One week later, Police Chief Andrew Fletcher presented his budget during the Town of Innisfil’s deliberations.

“It’s very different from that of last year,” said police services board chair Licinio Miguelo.

In 2020, the police department hired six new people and expanded new services within the communities of Bradford and Innisfil.

This year’s COVID-19 budget is “responsible and pragmatic, reflecting our ability to address local priorities,” Miguelo said.

The Town of Innisfil had projected a five per cent increase in policing costs for 2021. In fact, noted Fletcher, the increase in the operating budget came in at 4.6 per cent, even though demand for services continues to increase, as both municipalities experience substantial growth.

In 2021, Innisfil’s population is expected to increase by 3.9 per cent to more than 43,000 people. Bradford, which was experiencing slower growth in 2019 of just under one per cent, will grow to 39,237 people next year.

In addition to increased calls for service, police have had to update and refocus, the chief said, to address more complex cross-border investigations that can now include issues of gang infiltration, drugs, and human trafficking, as well as to introduce new technologies.

“Our goal has always been to be proactive, not reactive, to those impacts,” said Fletcher, even though staffing has not kept pace with growth.

Nationally, the average is 182 police officers per 100,000 population; in Ontario, that average is 177 officers per 100,000.

The South Simcoe Police Service fields 119 officers per 100,000 population, but has still managed to keep up by deploying more of its staff on the front lines of policing (80 per cent). There are two additional hires proposed in 2021, which Fletcher said are “needed to keep pace."

To hold the line on the budget, the service has cut overtime, presumed fuel costs will remain unchanged, and cut $73,000 from its clothing, supplies and training budgets.

The increase in expenditures in 2021 still comes to $940,000, of which more than $800,000 is for salaries and benefits.

The result is a net operating budget of $21.2 million in 2021 and a net capital budget of $621,622.

Operating costs are divided between Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury based on a formula that considers population and number of households.

Under that formula, Innisfil will pay 53 per cent of the operating budget for a total of almost $11.3 million, while Bradford will pay 47 per cent, or approximately $9.9 million.

The capital budget – which includes $107,000 for radio infrastructure to provide "stable and secure" communication with officers, the chief said, and $336,000 for fleet replacement – is divided equally between the two partner municipalities, with each paying close to $311,000.

Overall, Innisfil's share of the total comes to $11.57 million, or $578 per household (about $48 per month) for the average home – “a reasonable amount to be paying to ensure the safety of the community,” Fletcher said.

The 4.6 per cent increase in the policing budget translates into a 2.19 per cent increase in the overall property tax levy – which the Town of Innisfil has voted to offset to ensure a zero per cent property tax increase in 2021.

For the average home in Bradford, valued at $516,919, the cost per household will be about $643.42, translating into a 2.55 per cent hike in the blended property tax.

Asked about the impact of ongoing low staffing numbers, Fletcher acknowledged that it does place a burden on front-line officers, especially as the force loses officers to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or to other police services. This year, three experienced officers left to accept positions with the Ontario Provincial Police, he said.

“We are continuing to recruit, continuing to hire, and hopefully will get caught up,” said Fletcher.

The police chief was also asked if the nearly five per cent increase per year is sustainable.

Fletcher pointed out that the actual impact is closer to 2.1 per cent on the tax bill, and that costs will undoubtedly continue to go up, although the service continues to look for new grants and revenue streams, including newly introduced online services.

South Simcoe police do expect some additional grants, in particular to cover court costs. However, the dollar amount won’t be known until March, which is why they weren’t included in the budget, Fletcher said.


Reader Feedback

Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
Read more