Doug Schweitzer (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

concern over possible cuts

Province assures rural municipalities will receive full police funding despite Opposition claims

Oct 10, 2019 | 4:16 PM

Alberta’s United Conservative government is denying any notion that rural municipalities will see cuts to their police funding of up to 70 per cent.

Currently, policing services are covered in full by the province for communities with fewer than 5,000 people.

The NDP Opposition recently highlighted government documents showing the UCP Government is considering a cost recovery model which would see 291 Alberta communities take on policing costs.

NDP leader Rachel Notley suggests such a move could cost individual taxpayers an additional $406 annually, while noting the average family was paying $450 per year through the now-eliminated carbon tax.

“If the model is changed, I believe it would be totally unfair. It would be a download of provincial responsibility to the rural municipalities,” says Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood.

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“The problem that happens when revenues are declining in the oil industry is some of them are not paying their taxes, some of them are going broke. Red Deer County, amongst others, are already facing financial hardship due to the economy. So what else do we cut to make it happen?”

While pointing out that policing levels are already inadequate, Wood adds it’s not fair for larger municipalities like The City of Red Deer to complain about the current police funding model.

However, Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer maintains that their argument is simply about equity.

“Red Deer has a population of 100,000, and our policing budget is about $23-24 million per year. The County’s population is (roughly) 20,000 people, or approximately 20 per cent of the city’s, and their policing costs are heavily subsidized by the province,” she explains. “On principle, that is unsustainable from a provincial perspective and we think it is equitable for all Albertans to contribute to policing costs.”

On Tuesday, Red Deer city council will formally discuss the proposed changes and provide a summary of their thoughts to the justice ministry.

In 2016, city council adopted a resolution on the “Equalization of Policing Costs,” thus administration is recommending that council support the government’s new proposal.

Lacombe County Reeve Paula Law says the potential changes could cost their ratepayers more than $3 million annually.

“We’re very concerned with the fact that they’re looking for funding with no guarantee for an increase in service or expectations of service,” she said. “We really struggle with this when we would have to potentially put taxes up (higher).”

Law says council shared their concerns at length with MLA Ron Orr during their meeting on Thursday.

“He did mention there’s a proposal from RCMP to put another 500 (officers) on the ground in the rural areas in the next three years. Our question is if our detachments aren’t fully staffed now, and haven’t been for a long time, how are they going to get 500 more on the ground? Where is that coming from?”

Wetaskiwin County Reeve Terry Van de Kraats estimates their residents could be on the hook for $390,000 to $1.8 million annually.

“The County of Wetaskiwin strongly believes that the Government of Alberta under your leadership should support rural Albertans in effectively tackling rural crime and maintain your commitment to a significant amount of the population that supported the United Conservative Party in forming government,” Van de Kraats wrote in an open letter to Premier Jason Kenney and cabinet on Oct. 8.

“Due to the costs associated with the proposed funding changes, the effectiveness of our CPO program will almost certainly be diminished, and the overall level of service provided to County residents will significantly decrease.”

Lac Ste. Anne County also released a scathing commentary on the proposed changes, calling the province’s responses to questions from municipal leaders “noncommittal” and “ever-shifting.”

In a statement, Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer tried to clarify the situation.

“Let me be perfectly clear: Any new funds that may be collected under a new model would be reinvested directly in additional frontline policing, leading to an overall increase in funding for police services in Alberta,” he said. “Any assertion to the contrary is absolutely, 100% false. No costs would be “downloaded”; new funds would be used for boots on the ground in rural Alberta.”

Schweitzer’s senior press secretary, Jonah Mozeson, also weighed in by saying, “Despite any assertions and fear-mongering to the contrary, the government will not be cutting police funding to municipalities at all. Regardless of whether a new funding model is chosen, a municipality would not receive one dollar less from the provincial government to pay the RCMP for their services.”

The Government of Alberta currently spends about $232 million each year on frontline policing services.