The proposed 2020 Sarnia police budget calls for a 7.1 per cent increase over 2019.
A $25,547,351 operating draft, presented to the police services board Thursday morning, includes $339,533 for four new officers that would raise the uniform complement to 115.
Chief Norm Hansen said the proposed increase is also directly related to federal legislation requiring that all municipalities implement the Next-generation 911 system by 2023.
Chief Hansen said he's not surprised the board wants more time to review the proposed budget.
"The board has a job to do, as the city does, and they have to be fiscally responsible, as do I. I expected them not to like a seven per cent increase -- we typically go around the three per cent mark -- but we got extra things in the budget this year that we've pitched to try and improve the service, so I'm not disappointed that they want to hear some more specifics about certain items, and they should want to know that," he said.
The board is scheduled to meet in special session next week to consider the budget.
Mayor Mike Bradley, who serves as the board's chair, said 7.1 per cent is a large increase to take to city hall, but Chief Hansen said it's on par or lower than other municipalities across Ontario.
"I don't want to point fingers at specific municipalities, we're Sarnia, we're not another city. But I think if we're to look at outside media from other services, you would see police services across the board are asking for huge increases," said Hansen.
Public records show that Guelph's police service board recently approved a 2020 operating budget which carried a 10 per cent increase, Sault Ste. Marie's board approved an eight per cent increase, while Niagara Regional Police will see an increase of 5.3 per cent over 2019.
Hansen said the upgraded 911 system has inflated police operating budgets across Ontario, noting that it accounts for nearly two per cent of the Sarnia increase, over $400,000.
"We are trying to increase staff, that's expensive, but some of it is that the Next-generation 911 system has been thrust upon us, we don't have a choice. So I know that our base budget without the officers and without the 911 system, was in the three-point-something per cent range, so that would be, you know, everybody would be happy."
(From left to right) Sarnia Police Services Director of Financial Services Cathy Dam, Chief Norm Hansen, and Deputy Chief Owen Lockhart.
Hansen will be heading to Queen's Park later this year to discuss possibly recouping costs for the 911 system through a phone tariff.
"The problem is Ontario and Manitoba, at least, do not put a surcharge on phones to pay for this stuff, " he said. "So if you see on your bill that there's a 911 charge, Bell gets that. But other provinces, let's call it 45 cents a month on every hardline and cellphone account, that goes into a provincial pool from which we would be able to draw when we have to do these things," he said. "So the 911 system would be paid for by the consumer, basically, in the end. I mean, I don't know that anyone is going to be upset with a 45 cent charge on their phone, they're not going to notice it. But if you think about how many phones are in Ontario between hardlines and cells, that's a lot of money if that's collected monthly."
Hansen said the first phase of the Next-generation 911 system would cost $405,000, representing a 1.7 per cent increase in 2020. He said the system will continue to affect Sarnia police budgets until 2023 unless the province is able to fund the upgrades.