Municipalities welcome additional funding for police service

The Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM) is pleased with the announcement of $22.8 million in financial assistance from the Quebec government to cover part of the increase in the money municipalities have to pay to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) for service. The announcement comes as the result of discontent from members who have been lobbying the government for the last two years to ensure equal sharing of policing costs between the two levels of government.

"Quebec municipalities can breathe a sigh of relief,” says FQM President Richard Lehoux.”they could not have absorbed the sticker shock represented by the increase in the cost of Sûreté du Québec police services as a result of the salary increase granted by the new collective agreement. On the eve of Christmas, I have to admit that this is a nice gift."

The 17.5 per cent wage increase over seven years (including two retroactive years), granted by contract threatened the fiscal balance of many municipalities and MRCS that would have had no choice but to increase municipal taxes in order to absorb such a fee shock. With the additional money from Quebec, the FQM sees the rise in the bill at about 3 per cent, or $9 million for all Quebec municipalities and the additional financial assistance also ensures that cost sharing for SQ services for 2018 is close to the 50 / 50 target.

At the moment, there is no measure in the Regulation respecting amounts payable by municipalities for Sûreté du Québec service that limits the increase in the bill sent to municipalities, which means that every year they fear the worst. By including equal cost sharing and limiting increases to inflation, Quebec municipalities could better forecast their spending.

“With greater predictability, municipalities could be better prepared for long-term financial planning and it is the citizens who will be the big winners," Lehoux concluded.