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Small towns protest downloading of police costs

Mayors say change could bankrupt them Pemberton and other small communities say they face virtual bankruptcy if the provincial government goes ahead with plans to make communities under 5,000 pay their own policing costs.

Mayors say change could bankrupt them

Pemberton and other small communities say they face virtual bankruptcy if the provincial government goes ahead with plans to make communities under 5,000 pay their own policing costs.

"We are really concerned," said Pemberton Mayor Elinor Warner.

Currently the town has five RCMP officers, each of whom cost about $100,000 before the cost of vehicles and administration is added in.

"So that would cost us about $500,000," said Warner. "We collect $620,000 in taxes so you can do the math and figure out that this just isn’t going to work. We have huge concerns."

Warner is concerned not just about the downloading of this cost but also about on-going plans by the RCMP to join Whistler’s detachment to Pemberton’s.

"We are really very apprehensive," she said.

"Right now we haven’t got their business plan about how this is exactly going to work and we don’t know when the Small Policing Act will come in. So we just don’t know how it will all work together and we are very concerned."

No matter what happens Pemberton will be paying something for policing when the dust settles.

The issue engendered heated debate at this week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities annual convention.

At a pre-conference forum Solicitor General Rich Coleman told hundreds of delegates it was time for the discussions to reach some conclusion for the good of policing across the province.

"This is us working together on a consultative basis for the future of policing in B.C," said Coleman.

"There are about 700,000 people in the province who do not in effect pay for policing.

"The small communities say ‘Don’t touch us,’ and the larger communities say, "Look, it’s not fair that we’re actually indirectly or directly subsidizing these communities,’ and… I think it’s important that we get fairness."

Currently the province pays for policing of about 70 unorganized territories and communities with populations of less than 5,000. This cost $153 million in 2001/2002.

Larger communities policed by the RCMP pay on a sliding scale, ranging from 30 per cent to 90 per cent. Whistler began paying part of the cost of its RCMP detachment several years ago. Municipal budgets have included a one per cent increase each year specifically to help pay for RCMP services.

Twelve municipalities, including Vancouver and Victoria, have their own municipal forces for which they pay the entire cost.

"Every taxpayer in Vancouver who pays income tax to B.C. that goes to general revenue is supporting the provincial infrastructure of policing," said Coleman.

"At the same time they are paying taxes to pay $122 million of policing in the city of Vancouver as well so if you are looking for fairness to the taxpayer, it should be fairness."

Lions Bay Mayor Brenda Broughton is threatening to withdraw the services of the volunteer emergency personnel in response to the downloading of policing costs, according to The Province newspaper.

Emergency services cost the community up to $100,000 a year, something they will not be able to afford if they have to pay for policing.

John Ranta, Mayor of Cache Creek is firmly focused on the issue of fairness and he believes downloading the costs onto small communities is anything but fair.

"…Where is the equity when they are after 100 per cent cost recovery from small communities and unincorporated areas?" he asked.

"With the way things have been going for several months there is no doubt that small communities are bearing a disproportionate amount of the cuts and now they are wanting more money."

During a question period with Coleman at the convention Ranta said the government would be getting $54 million from small communities and unincorporated areas if the downloading proceeds.

He is concerned that the government is looking to pay for platform promises on the backs on small communities.

He cited plans outlined in the Liberal’s New Era document to give communities access to money from traffic fines as an example.

"They promised to share 75 per cent of traffic fine revenue with communities and certainly that is going to cost the province money, so they are looking everywhere they can to get money," said Ranta.

"Now they have decided to look in the pockets of small communities and citizens and rural area people to fund New Era promises."

Coleman presented two policing payment options to the delegates at the UBCM to consider and offer feedback on.

The first would see a new provincial "police services tax" in municipalities under 5,000 and unincorporated areas to pay for local police services. The tax would be part of the property tax calculation.

The second option would see the regional districts responsible for raising money for policing services. Regional districts would raise the funds through direct property taxation.

For citizens of Cache Creek that means an additional $44 to $126 in taxes.

"That is quite significant," said Ranta.

"We have low property taxes. We don’t get much in the way of services and we enjoy having a low property tax."

And Ranta doesn’t expect the service to get better. He said it is not unusual for a resident of Cache Creek to call to report a crime in progress only to be transferred to Kamloops and informed an officer will respond in the morning.

Other community leaders also voiced concern.

Said Councillor Paula Forbes of Granisle, east of Smithers: "We are struggling to keep our very village and to download this would just kill us."