NRP, NPCA, housing budgets on agenda

The operation of Niagara Region agencies could cost taxpayers about $ 178 million in 2018, nearly $ 7 million more than was spent this year.

The Region’s budget review committee will meet Thursday night to consider funding requests from Niagara Regional Police, Niagara Regional Housing, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and the Region’s provincial offences courts.

The bulk of budget requests comes from police, expected to cost $ 143.5 million next year — a $ 6.2- million increase over this year’s funding.

A report regarding the police budget, to be presented during the meeting, says the 4.5 per cent increase is primarily due to an arbitrated collective agreement for about 700 police officers, partially offset by a review of expenditures and cost recovery opportunities, while working to find efficiencies in policies and procedures.

Niagara Regional Housing’s 2018 budget is expected to increase by about $ 500,000, for a total of $ 53 million. About half that — $ 27.4 million — comes from Region coffers, while tenants pitch in about $ 14 million in rent, and upper- tier governments pitch in about $ 11.8 million.

Niagara’s share of the conservation authority’s 2018 budget is about $ 7 million, while Hamilton will be asked to pitch in $ 1.4 million, and Haldimand will be contributing $ 114,643.

The bulk of the NPCA levy — $ 4.7 million — is earmarked for administrative and maintenance costs.

Running Niagara’s courts is expected to cost nearly $ 5 million next year, a reduction of $ 1 million. However, revenue produced by the courts is expected to decrease, too — by about 34 per cent. As a result, the Region and lower- tier municipalities are expected to share a total of $ 1.09 million of income.

A report on the court budget says the revenue decrease is partially the result of a reduction in the number of charges laid by enforcement officers, as well as a reduction in the number of fines that are prepaid and an increase in the number of charges being challenged in court.

Meanwhile, operating cost reductions are the result of a decrease in expenses that will be realized as a result of the move from three court facilities to two, the reduction of one court clerk and a temporary project manager ( both through attrition), a new e- ticketing initiative and the installation of a VoIP phone system.

Thursday’s meeting starts at 6: 30 p. m. in council chambers.