Current Cost of Temiskaming Shores Police

With most things in life you get what you pay for.   Community policing is no different.

The current Temiskaming Shores Police Service budget includes many enhanced services not provided by OPP, such as:

• By-law enforcement
• City and area-wide Enhanced 911 service
• Local Temiskaming Shores Police Service dispatch
• City and area-wide fire dispatch
• City-wide after hours public works dispatch

If the Temiskaming Shores Police is disbanded then the City would have to establish a new municipal dispatch service for 911, fire and public works, plus have police calls answered at the OPP call centre in North Bay.  Councillor Whalen’s alternative to dispatch is to terminate all staff and hire an out-of-district dispatch service.    

Since the difference in price between the OPP policing quote and the current Temiskaming Shores Police is essentially the cost of operating the local dispatch service, switching to OPP would not provide any real cost savings to Temiskaming Shores taxpayers.  Any savings on fire, 911 and public works dispatch would only come by laying off local workers and hiring an out-of-district agency.  Base policing costs would remain the same, but with a reduced level of service.

Further, the current dispatch service provided by the Temiskaming Shores Police is local, dedicated and more responsive that what would be received from outside agencies.

New Provincial Funding

As of January 27, 2006, the Government of Ontario has increased Temiskaming Shores' annual Police Services Grant as part of a base funding increase to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) transfer payment.   The new 2006 police grant to the city is $883,001 - an increase of $781,831 over 2005.  

The new Police Services Grant includes a long overdue provincial contribution to New Liskeard policing costs.   Previously, the province provided a subsidy for Dymond and Haileybury policing costs, but New Liskeard residents had to pay the full cost of their policing.

Under the new provincial funding formula, local ratepayers pay the first $150 per household with the balance shared 50/50 between local ratepayers and the province.

The following cost calculations reflect the new annual provincial funding.

Temiskaming Shores Police Service (New Liskeard)
2004 final expenditures (wages and operating): $1,212,467 (police) + $277, 259 (dispatch) = $1,489,726 (total)

2004 capital cost: $26,596

2004 revenues: $85,983 (police) + $130,216 (dispatch)
                = $216,199 (total)

Unfunded cost: $1,300,123 (divided by 2,224 households)
                = $584.59 per household
OMPF Funding: - $647,517*
Balance to taxpayer: $652,606 (divided by 2,224 households)
                = $293.48 per household

New Liskeard cost includes 24 hour dedicated policing (720 hours/month) and City-wide fire and public works dispatch and Enhanced 911 service

Dymond (OPP)
2006 estimate:     $300,515*
2004 revenues:     - $1,790
Unfunded cost:     $298,725 (divided by 458 households)
                = $652.00 per household
OMPF Funding:     - $115,908*
Balance to taxpayer: $182,817 (divided by 458 households)
                = $399.00 per household

Dymond cost for OPP contract service of 334.97 hours per month

Haileybury (OPP)
2006 estimate:     $537,372*
2004 revenues:     - $3,845
Unfunded cost:     $533,527 (divided by 1,988 households)
                = $268.00 per household
OMPF Funding:     - $119,586*
Balance to taxpayer:     $413,941 (divided by 1,988 households)
                = $208.00 per household

Haileybury cost for OPP non-contract service of 567.24 hours per month

*Figures from February 21, 2006, city staff Report CS-05-2006 .

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