THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Service has proposed a $59.1 million operating budget for 2025. That's up 5.1 per cent over the current budget, higher than the cap requested by the city.
Board chair Karen Machado said she is sure council won't be pleased to hear the police budget was not keeping to the 3.8 per cent increase requested by the city but she believes $59.1 million “will be the cost to run the (service) and do the work that we need to do.”
The police service board approved the budget at their Tuesday meeting. Next, it will go to city council for approval as part of the overall 2025 city budget process.
"Council sets the goals but then everybody wants to add a little bit more dessert to the meal," said mayor Ken Boshcoff after the meeting. “So, we really have to come to grips with what we want to do.”
Council could direct police to limit the budget increase to 3.8 percent, Boshcoff told Dougall Media, but he said "the things that are being asked for are relatively minor in scope and the surgery that's required to really reduce a budget means that you have to do something different as a service-level reduction."
Dawn Paris, police director of finance and facilities, said the proposed operating budget represents a $2.9 million increase over 2024.
Increased personnel costs are the biggest driver of the budget increase.
Some of the key factors contributing to the increase are wage-related.
A $2.2 million increase was allocated to estimated collective bargaining increases, a $0.7 million increase for overtime, a $0.4 million increase to paid duty wages, and a $0.2 million increase for the 2024 full-time employee expansions.
Despite the increased personnel costs, only four new full time positions have been created, Paris said these special constables are separately funded by the city as part of their capital projects.
The four additional special constables were hired to provide security at the Provincial Offences Court's new location at Arthur Street East while the city focuses on the Victoriaville Reconstruction Project.
An estimated 1.6 million in new revenues are factored into the budget, which would otherwise be higher. That is largely made up of revenue from wage recovery, paid duty and an expected increase in grants.
“I think it's important for the board members to be informed that all of the grants that are expired in 2025. The assumption was made that they would continue at the 2024 bond and that they might, in fact, go up,” said Paris.
“There is a little bit of risk associated with the budget increases.”
Board member Wayne Bahlieda asked if there was any way to lobby the provincial government to provide municipal police forces access to the new funding stream for homeless encampment enforcement.
According to Bahlieda, that funding stream is only available to the OPP.
However, board member Denise Baxter thought it would be better if the question was presented to city council.
In an interview with Dougall Media, Boshcoff said, “we are almost in a constant lobby mode now.”
“So, because there are so few in relative terms, independent municipal police forces, we’re pretty much on our own when we do this. I think we can make a very valid case supported by the fact that we also service some neighbouring municipalities.
“We've had a really good response from the province, so I'm optimistic.
In 2024, the services operating budget was $56.3 million. over 2024 for a total of $63.3 million in 2025.
