Letter to the Editor
Editor,
As reactions to the new OPP billing model announced last week continue to come in from around the province, it is important that all stakeholders in this issue take a step back and examine the facts.
Cutting through the rhetoric, two facts have remained clear throughout this debate.
Firstly – With some taxpayers paying $9 per household while others are paying over $900, it is clear that a fairer model is necessary. Municipal leaders have been asking for a new model and were consulted extensively on its creation. By charging each municipality the same base cost per property, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the OPP have brought fairness to a system that has not changed in 17 years.
Secondly – Throughout this process, the uniform and civilian members of the OPP Association continue to provide the highest level of service to the communities that they have sworn to protect.
Now that the stakeholders in this issue have the details of the new model, it is important for them to thoroughly analyze the estimates that the OPP will be providing to each community in the near future. June Demerling, Chair of the West Perth Police Services Board, was quoted in a Mitchell Advocate article dated August 18th regarding the costs under the new OPP billing model as saying:
“At this point I can’t calculate it because I still don’t have enough information.”
In the absence of this data, the criticism and premature conclusions that we have seen from some municipal officials and politicians since the announcement is disappointing and would seem to be self-serving. A complete analysis of the proper information, prior to passing judgment, only makes sense. Anything less would be a disservice to the tax payers of Ontario.
Take care,
Martin Bain
Vice-President
OPP Association
