Greater Sudbury Police Service has tabled a proposed 2024 budget increase of $7.75 million, bringing their new total to more than $80 million, which is a 10.66-per-cent increase from 2023.
This is the first year of multi-year budgeting for the city, with GSPS proposing an additional $5.6-million increase in 2025, or a 6.92-per-cent increase from the proposed jump in 2024.
The police board deferred making a decision until next week, with follow-up meetings set for Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
The proposed increase is more than double the 4.7-per-cent increase cap city council requested from outside agencies the municipality funds.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Mayor Paul Lefebvre told Sudbury.com after today’s police board meeting, adding that they’re balancing the need to keep taxes low with service levels.
“The requests and demand on policing, more and more, not just on services but service expectations, is higher than ever,” he said. “The needs and the requirements on the police are more than we have ever seen, so that’s why continued investment in that is key.”
GSPS denied Sudbury.com’s interview request regarding the proposed budget, with spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn responding, “It would be inappropriate to comment on the proposed budget outside of board deliberations.”
Sudbury.com reached out to police board chair and Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer, but did not receive an immediate response.
City police have also published significantly less information about their proposed 2024-25 budget than they did during 2023 budget deliberations.
During 2023 budget deliberations, a PowerPoint presentation joined an 85-page budget document in rounding out public understanding of what has been proposed.
For 2024-25 budget deliberations, GSPS has published only a PowerPoint presentation, which offers a cursory overview of the proposed budget.
From what has been released publicly, it’s unclear what, exactly, has contributed to the 10.66-per-cent budget increase proposed.
“The information was provided verbally during the hour and a half public presentation to the board,” Dunn wrote, referencing a meeting that took place at Greater Sudbury Police Services headquarters on Wednesday morning, which Sudbury.com did not attend.
A video of the meeting was requested, but Dunn indicated they are not recorded.
Although the 2023 GSPS budget included adding 10 additional police officers that year, and proposed an additional 10 officers in 2024 and four more in 2025, the PowerPoint presentation makes no mention of additional officers.
A $5.6-million increase in salaries and benefits was included in the operating budget summary available in the PowerPoint presentation. Direction established during 2023 budget deliberations implies this figure would include this year’s 10 additional sworn members, but without confirmation from GSPS this remains unclear.
Additional expenses in the capital forecast includes the following for 2024:
- $2.65 million for a police building fund
- $1.34 million toward the police fleet
- $1 million for police capital projects
- $791,712 for police equipment and supplies
- $249,535 for Next Generation 911
During 2023 budget deliberations, GSPS tabled an initial proposed budget which included a 6.7-per-cent increase, despite that year’s city council direction to limit it to 3.7 per cent.
The police board ended up paring it down to 5.66 per cent, which city council members greenlit.
Sudbury.com will attend and report on future police board budget meetings, including those scheduled for Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
