If the City of Richmond was hesitant about putting pen to paper on a new 20-year RCMP contract before the quick must surely be showing on its nails after B.C. municipalities were blindsided by a previously unseen pay hike.
With the ink barely dry on the agreement signed by the provincial and federal justice ministers for a new two-decade long RCMP deal a deal that was alleged to afford municipalities more input on cost control - B.C. cities were reeling last week after learning there would be seven separate pay increases for Mounties over the next three years.
The cities which carry an RCMP detachment have until the end of the month to individually ratify the contract endorsed by the province or opt out and create their own municipal or regional force.
For Richmonds mayor, Malcolm Brodie, all the latest development does is shine an unflattering light on the very heart of the issue that has irked the city for many a year.
Were going into a new contract and one of the biggest complaints from the past is that the RCMP would simply pass on certain costs that were just expected to pay, said the mayor.
But (the new arrangement) was supposed to deal with this kind of problem. But right at the beginning, before weve even signed anything, we find out that nothing really has changed at all.
Brodie said the city got word right at the end of last week that there was going to be some costs involved that wed not even factored in before.
Were still trying to get clarification, but it appears as if this was not budgeted.
And if the news of more multi millions of unbudgeted dollars are correct, Brodie said, when the mayors involved get together next week for talks on a way forward, he will demand answers from the RCMP as to why this was not on the radar.
Were talking about a 20-year term, we must know exactly what were getting into, he said.
We definitely need some explanations and clarifications. Im looking forward to meeting with the rest of the mayors on April 20.
Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender, who has been on the negotiating team for an RCMP contract for the past four years, said municipalities were shocked to hear about Ottawa's plan for seven separate increases for RCMP members over the next three years.
The decision was made by the Treasury Board without consultation with municipalities, and included in the federal budget.
Municipalities had earlier threatened to pull out of having the Mounties and create its own regional force, although most are reluctant to make the leap.
The deal was focused on controlling costs to municipalities.
But Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said the pay raise move could potentially cost her city $6 million to $8 million more in extra costs. Surrey has Canada's largest RCMP detachment.
"This is not an issue as to whether the RCMP get a raise or not," Watts said. "The piece here is there was no consultation, no input. All of a sudden it was passed by Treasury Board and here's your bill. Whether there's offsetting or other additional costs, we don't know.
Fassbender has sent a letter, on behalf of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, to federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, asking the federal government to provide all the cost impacts - both increases and decreases - of the pay raises for the next three years as soon as possible to clarify the situation.
The letter argues the move could have a "major impact on all local government elected officials."
"This development, I can assure you, will create a significant backlash from local governments and their citizens," Fass-bender wrote. "As you know we have all worked hard, particularly in the later stages of the negotiations, to build a climate of true partnership and cooperation ...
We now face the prospect of going to our municipal councils to request additional funding to cover these new costs."
The new funding formula for the RCMP remains the same as the old contract - 90-10, with local governments paying the biggest chunk, for cities larger than 15,000 and 70-30 for smaller cities of between 5,000 and 15,000 - but the contract gives the B.C. government and municipalities more say about how the force operates and how it spends public funds.
There will be a new management committee with 10 municipal representatives, as well as B.C. officials, that will be consulted before the RCMP makes fiscal decisions in B.C.
Fassbender noted municipalities have already set their budgets for this year, and "we're not going to increases taxes for a situation we weren't even told about or given a heads up."
Justice Minister Shirley Bond said she did not receive direct information about a new compensation package for the RCMP and has asked staff to contact the federal government for more clarification.
"On several calls we were reassured that this decision - in conjunction with other federal budget measures - was unlikely to result in increased costs and may be a net benefit," she said in the statement.
"I am deeply concerned about any potential impacts on our municipalities and that this information came as a surprise ... I want to be very clear in saying that we stand solidly beside our municipalities on this matter - it is critical that the commitment made to municipalities in the new RCMP contract is honoured."
With a file from the Vancouver Sun
