The Thunder Bay Police Service Board’s proposed 2012 operating budget will arrive in city council chambers with a four per cent increase.
After a lengthy closed session, members of the board had their final meeting before the New Year on Tuesday.
In his first official meeting back, Mayor Keith Hobbs voted against sending the estimated $34-million budget to council. But Hobbs’ bid ultimately failed as a majority of board members agreed to send it, with the four per cent increase, to city council.
The budget increased in four key areas:
• Personnel Services increases by 3.1 per cent
• Purchased Services increases by 4.5 per cent
• Materials and Supplies increase by 33.2 per cent
• Revenues increase by 7.4 per cent
Hobbs said he voted mostly in principle. He believes other city services will be approaching council with no proposed budget increases, and wishes the police service could do the same.
“We’re asking people to come in with zero budget (increases) and this came in at four per cent,” Hobbs said.
“There could have been more savings and more cuts. I realize that’s a lot to do with the recent settlement, which involved contracts with police officers. I appreciate what officers do in this community.
“They have a tough job. This year I voted against it but hopefully we’ll see some reduction in crime and with an increased budget we`ll see where it goes.”
Without offering details, Hobbs suggested the service offset court uploading, which came in at around $176,000.
Hobbs, who is also the former president of the Thunder Bay Police Association, said he’s always advocated for higher wages. But despite what he fought for in the past, the mayor said the times have changed.
“We’re coming out of the recession and when I gave my state of the city address to council last night things are starting to turn the corner,” he said.
“Until we’re sure that we are clear and out of the recession and things look better in Thunder Bay, then we should be holding the line more.”
Hobbs added that it will be interesting to see what happens when the budget comes before city council in the New Year.
One of the biggest expenses for the police budget has traditionally been the overtime costs.
Thunder Bay Police Service Chief J.P. Levesque said they have increased the overtime account to better reflect the hours officers put in.
“We’re also hoping to find some efficiency so that if we don’t have to tap into that extra money that we budgeted for that would be great,” Levesque said.
“I don’t know how realistic that is. We’re entering into a city lean. We’re looking at some efficiencies that will make us more efficient there by cutting down on overtime costs.”
Levesque has previously stated that a change in officer’s shifts could also help in dealing with overtime.
He said they wouldn’t be perusing that idea just yet as that would have to be done through contract negotiations.
Levesque said the increased budget reflects how the role of police officers has changed to help deal with more social issues.
Levesque added that they will launch a three-year business plan designed to meet the objectives and priorities of the policing services that will be determined by the board.
Joe Virdiramo, who returns as chair of the police service board, said in the business plan he would like to see more crime prevention methods like neighbourhood policing come to the forefront.
In terms of the budget, Virdiramo said it was lean but he still has some concerns despite passing it.
“I know that we do have issues that come up,” Virdiramo said. “They are unpredictable issues that we need to spend money on and the budget may cover it or it may not. This year, in the third quarter of variance in the fall we are a million over or so in overtime. We haven’t really fully budget for overtime in the past but I think with tightening our belts and trying to work leaner we can do it.”
