Codiac RCMP spending rises to $39M in proposed 2022 budget

The proposed budget for the Codiac Regional RCMP shows spending on the force rising to $39 million next year, up from $34 million this year.

The proposed Codiac Regional Policing Authority budgetwas presented to Riverview councillors Thursday evening as part of the town's budget deliberations. The authority oversees the forcethat polices Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.

"Overall we're asking for a significant increase compared to other years," Nagesh Jammula, the policing authority's treasurer, told councillors."The main reason for that is the RCMP union settlement that happened in the past six months."

The National Police Federation, the RCMP union, andthe federal Treasury Boardsigned the force's first collective agreement in Augustthat includesasalary increase of 23.7 per cent over six years. The agreement is retroactive, starting in 2017, and endsMarch 31, 2023.

The National Police Federation has said the contract brings RCMP pay closer to the salaries paid to municipal police officers.

Under the RCMP's 2016 pay scale, afirst class constable would earn $86,110. That rises to$106,576by next April.A corporal who made $94,292 in 2016 would see their pay riseto $116,703 next year.

The policing authority hadset aside $3.5 million to cover retroactive pay increases. Theamount wasbasedon an assumed 2.5 per cent annual wage increase, though the actualincrease is higher.Jammulasaid that led to a $1.4 million shortfall that needed to be covered.

The proposed budget shows spending rising from$34,632,344 this year to $39,484,413.

The budget shows salaries and benefits for Codiac's 147 members rising from $17,362,258 in the 2021budget to $19,384,489 in 2022. It also includes a$224,000 increase for fuel, supplies, equipment and vehicles.

Increasing cost for police holding cells

The federal government, which provides a 10 per cent subsidy, is increasing its cost share by$353,000 because of the overall increase in spending.

The budget also includes $1.5 million for "cell mitigation," whichJammula said is because of a need for the holding cells at the detachment to be regularly staffed by an officer and for janitorial services.

"That's to make sure that we have someone there so that the prisoners are not hurting themselves?"Coun. Cecile Cassistaasked during the meeting about the budget line.

"That's right,"Jammulasaid.

The policing authority budget affects the municipal budgets of thethree communities.

Under the policing contract, Monctonwill pay70.7 per cent of the $39 millionbudget, with Dieppe paying 18.3per cent and Riverviewcovering 10.9 per cent.

Budget talks in Dieppe and Moncton take place in the coming months.

The increase in the day-to-day operations cost of policing comes as the region has yet to make a decision on whether to go ahead with building a new Codiac RCMP station.

The cost, once pegged at $46 million, has risen to $57 million. Moncton councillors are expected to discuss plans for the new station at a council meeting Monday evening.