Unlike other B.C. municipalities, the City of Prince George was mostly prepared for a 1.75 per cent salary increase for RCMP officers this year, according to a senior administrator.
On March 30, the federal RCMP commissioner shocked many municipalities with a pay increase announcement. Officers will receive a 1.75 per cent in 2012, retroactive to Jan. 1. In addition, the commissioner announced a 1.5 per cent increase in 2013 and two per cent increase in 2014.
During a closed meeting this week, city council signed off on the 20-year RCMP contract between the federal government, provincial government and municipalities. In March, the province and federal government announced the agreement, including a 0.69 per cent cost increase for municipalities in 2012.
City director of public safety and civic facilities Rob Whitwham said city administration anticipated an RCMP salary increase for the year.
"For the 2012 year we built the RCMP budget on a 1.5 per cent wage increase," Whitwham said. "We're still waiting for some more information on the implications of the wage package. [But] can the extra 0.25 per cent be accommodated in the budget? Probably."
The city's RCMP contract with the provincial and federal government accounted for $17.8 million of the city's total $21.8 million policing budget in 2012.
Currently the city pays 90 per cent of the total cost of policing in the city, and the federal government pays 10 per cent.
Mayor Shari Green said not signing the service contract with the RCMP was not a viable option. Failure to sign before April 30 would have meant the city had two years to develop a stand-alone municipal police force.
"The initial startup costs are significant," Green said.
Green said while the new contract won't have a significant impact on the RCMP's daily operations, the contract does provide local governments more oversight at the provincial and federal level.
Prince George isn't represented on the provincial and federal contract management committees formed under the agreement. Green said she's confident in the local government representatives which have been appointed to those committees by the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
