Kelowna

Peachland Mayor, Keith Fielding knew this day would come eventually.

The release of Census figures Wednesday mean the municipality will now have to pay a larger share of policing costs.

According to numbers released in the Census, Peachland's population has officially broken through the 'magic' 5,000 barrier.

The municipality's population is pegged at 5,200.

That means Peachland's share of policing costs rise from a 50/50 split to a 70/30.

According to Director of Finance, Doug Pryde, the yearly increase will be just shy of $250,000.

Pryde says in 2011, Peachland paid $268,000 for policing.

When the new formula kicks in April 1, Peachland will be faced with a $386,000 bill for the balance of 2012 and $514,000 per year on an ongoing basis beginning January 1, 2013.

Fielding says the news doesn't come as a surprise.

"We just escaped the bullet in the last Census so we're not surprised it's come out this way now," says Fielding.

In 2006, Peachland's population was pegged at 4,883.

"I think the important thing is we do have some reserves in place because we have anticipated this impact."

The new arrangement means Peachland will have four dedicated RCMP officers housed out of the West Kelowna Detachment.

They will also have to absorb vehicle and administrative costs. 

Overall, Fielding is pleased with the level of growth in the municipality, which sits at 6.5 per cent.

"The for us is to manage our growth. We have a lot of development planned on our books," says Fielding.

"We are working very closely with those developers to make sure those projects are sustainable and growth is managed effectively."