The provincial government says it will be providing financial relief for small, rural and northern municipalities to help offset the increased cost of policing.
$77 million has been promised.
But Doug Lawrance mayor of Sioux Lookout says that still leaves them with a big bill for OPP service.
“We had a preliminary look at the numbers…we are interpreting just a bit of what they (the Ministry of the Solicitor General) are saying,” says Lawrance.
“We think it will bring our bill down to 41 percent higher than last year or as much as 47 percent higher than last year.”
Lawrance says while the extra money is a start, he is hopeful the province will still look at the police costing model.
“I still hold out hope because in the announcement, it says, the province will also be examining options for reviewing the OPP billing model to ensure that it meets the needs of communities across the province.”
Right now, bill for OPP service in Sioux Lookout in 2025 is 61 percent higher, or over a million dollars.
It’s also 19 percent higher in the City of Dryden, 25 percent higher in Fort Frances and 37 percent of $2.5 million more in Kenora.
