Police board approves 2022 proposed police operating budget

The Thunder Bay Police Services Board has approved the 2022 police operating budget.

The $48.8 million net operating budget was presented to board members at a meeting held Tuesday morning.

The total takes into account expected revenues, fees, and grants, and is about $1.6 million higher than the service's 2020 budget.

Police Chief Sylvie Hauth said more than 91 per cent of the budget is due to salaries and fringe benefits.

"There's not much wiggle room," she said. "The budget itself for 2022 does not reflect any increase in staffing complement."

"Of note is that the current collective agreement, which was signed last year, that in itself represents a 3.8per cent increase in the budget in terms of wages, benefits and other contractual increases that have to be met," Hauth said. "We were able to offset and bring down the current ask by the revenue from court security, and a few other fees that are being recovered."

Hauth said, however, she doesn't believe the amount budgeted for overtime in 2022 will cover actual overtime costs for the year.

"That, currently, is an area for me that is of concern," she told the board. "I don't think it will be sufficient."

Other increases, a report to the board states, are due to training, computer license agreements, and uniforms.

However, police are expecting more revenues from criminal record checks, and its policing agreement with Oliver Paipoonge. Other funding will come through grants for court security, prisoner transportation, bail safety, and RIDE programs, the report states.

Board chair and city councillor Kristen Oliver said other costs are related to a recommendation in a2018report by the Ontario Civilian Police Commissioner that the Thunder Bay Police Services Board separate completely from the City of Thunder Bay.

"We've been fully separated now for ... just over a year," Oliver said. "That's causing us to incur some additional costs."

"We did anticipate that, but we're still trying to figure our way out as we go off on our own," she said. "There are some costs that we were a little surprised by."

The report followed an investigation into allegations of systemic racism within the police board.

The $48.8 million net total as presented to the board takes into account revenues; the gross operating budget was $55.4 million.

The police budget will now go before city council as part of the 2022 municipal budget deliberation process.