The City of Kamloops is asking the federal government to absorb all retroactive costs associated with a new national RCMP contract, which included the first-ever union agreement for Mounties.
That is because as it stands, the City is on the hook for $6 million in payments that are retroactive to 2017 as well as $2.52 million in additional policing costs in 2022.
“No one begrudges the RCMP at all to get unionized, because they have been underpaid for many many years. But obviously, as the ongoing wage settlements happen, there will be an added cost for the community,” Councillor Arjun Singh said Tuesday.
Currently, the City of Kamloops is responsible for 90 per cent of the RCMP budget locally, which accounts for about 12 per cent of the City’s total annual budget. Policing is the largest line item in the City of Kamloops’ budget.
“[The federal government has] the taxation ability to actually shoulder that increased cost whereas we don’t as well so we are in a pretty tough place,” Singh added. “I think the federal government should pick up the retroactive payment as a one time sign of good faith, and then we’ll go from there.”
Singh put forward his notice of motion during the Nov. 16 City Council meeting, which was debated briefly during the Nov. 30 meeting. All of council was unanimous in asking the federal government to cover those retroactive costs.
That motion also called on the federal government to consult with municipalities prior to making decisions that could have an impact on the bottom line.
“We had no consultation or no engagement on wage settlements,” Singh said. “You know, two per cent of this year’s tax increase is looking at that retroactive pay. And secondly, local governments across the country want to have more of a place at the table when those negotiations come up because we pay most of that bill.”
“We have to figure out how to work with the federal government to get more of our views heard and canvassed when they are in those negotiations with the RCMP union.”
Without service cuts, the preliminary 2022 Kamloops budget indicates a five per cent property tax increase next year, which would be the most significant increase in recent memory.
