The North Bay Police Services Board has approved a 2015 budget with a 2.5% increase.
During the Tuesday meeting, the word lean was used to describe the Operating Budget of 17,053,838 dollars.
Deputy Mayor Sheldon Forgette congratulated Chief Cook for the surplus of close to $94,000 dollars carried forward from last year.
Chief Paul Cook called the 2015 budget lean with challenges. “Our overtime was $510,000 dollars last year, but this year we are only budgeting $400,000 dollars. We are going to work with our command staff, our association and our members to try to achieve that.”
The budget is 90% salary and benefits, and overtime. The other 10% funds the Police Services Board, administration, emergency law enforcement, traffic, communications, maintenance of quarters, uniforms and equipment, fleet, training, and information services.
Budget categories with projected decreases were overtime, administration, traffic and training.
Vice-Chair Bill Hagborg says the board faces a number of challenges with this budget. "This building was built in 1972 and has issues. In the past year, there has been a problem with the HVAC system. And we have reduced our fleet by two, so this is a lean budget."
During the meeting, Chief Cook pointed out another rising cost in legislative changes which will see the police services board pay $140,000 dollars more this year over 2014.
Chief Cook cautioned that all the bullet proof vests will need to be replaced within a few years.
The election of the Boards top administrators also took place. Bill Hagborg was welcomed as Vice-Chair for the next year. Dennis O’Conner was elected North Bay Polices Services Chair for a second year. O’Conner says he is proud of the dedicated members of the force.
“There is a high level of satisfaction from both the North Bay and Callander communities. Despite a few hiccups, we have the best police services in Ontario.”
