FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2023
BONNYVILLE, AB – The Town of Bonnyville responded today to the federal government’s disappointing decision to pass RCMP Retroactive costs on to municipalities.
Despite months of municipal advocacy led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), provincial-territorial associations and local leaders across Canada, the federal government has indicated in the most recent federal budget it will not be meeting the request to absorb the retroactive costs associated with the latest RCMP collective bargaining agreement.
The federal budget further confirmed that communities across Canada that are dependent on RCMP services for local policing, including the Town of Bonnyville, are expected to cover these costs – a decision falling well short of the call from municipalities to fully absorb the costs.
Local governments were not at the table for these negotiations. And while cost estimates were provided to the Town of Bonnyville, these turned out to be below the final agreement’s increase over six years, with retroactive pay going back to 2017. The cost to the Town of Bonnyville associated with the retroactive payments is $355,763.00.
This decision is an example of a federal commitment that deeply impacts municipalities, without municipal representation being involved. Municipal governments are paying a growing share of policing costs, but they cannot run deficits and have limited revenue tools.
FCM has clearly reiterated the need for municipalities to be actively involved in any future processes regarding contract policing, calling this recent decision unacceptable. This is a position supported in full by the Town of Bonnyville.
Media Inquiries may be directed to:
Bill Rogers, Chief Administrative Officer, Phone: 780-826-3496 or email