MANITOULIN—Municipalities across Manitoulin that were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their 2015 Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) bill, which reflects the new and controversial billing model, were disappointed to learn last Monday (September 15) that they would be waiting another two weeks to receive their bill and to see how the new model will affect their bottom line.
“I called yesterday and they said they are two weeks behind (with the bills) due to some glitches,” explained Manitoulin OPP Detachment Staff Sgt. Kevin Webb at last Wednesday’s Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) meeting. “They are hoping to have the bills out on September 30.”
The 2015 bills will be the first to reflect the new OPP billing model which will take effect January 1, 2015 and reflects input from the Auditor General and municipalities, including a special review committee from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
The model includes two components: base policing costs such as crime prevention, proactive policing, officer training and administrative duties, and costs for reactive calls for service. Base policing will account for approximately six percent of the bill, while reactive calls will account for approximately 40 percent. The new model was introduced in an attempt to eliminate the large differences in the amounts municipalities were charged and to provide municipalities with better data so they can understand the types of calls for services in their community and direct crime prevention strategies.
Staff Sgt. Webb discussed how the new model will be phased in over a period of up to five years to allow municipalities time to adjust their budgets.
Northeast Town Mayor Al MacNevin explained that he learned during a regional meeting in Sudbury earlier this month (to discuss the OPP billing model) that the changes will be phased in over a five-year period with municipalities that will see a decrease to their bill having an $18 drop per household each year (over five years), while municipalities seeing a raise will see an increase of $40 maximum per household each year.
“Previously, our base cost per household was $470, but under the new model it should be around $207,” explained Mayor MacNevin. “So we should be seeing a drop on that portion of the bill, but as for the 40 percent occurrences, we aren’t sure how that will affect our bill.”
“Previously, bills were based 100 percent on occurrence,” continued Mayor MacNevin. “Before there were only two types of occurrences–non serious and serious–which ranged from two (billable) hours to six hours, but now there will be over 110 different types of occurrences.”
Staff Sgt. Webb clarified that previously, bills were based mostly on occurrences, but that a small percentage was based on household numbers.
“I’ve gone through a lot of your past (the various Island municipalities) occurrences and I don’t think you will see a huge change in cost day to day,” said Staff Sgt. Webb.
The Staff Sgt. concluded by noting that the 2015 bills would be sent to him, but that he would personally drive to each of the municipalities to deliver the bills and be available to answer any subsequent questions.
