Photo: Ty Lim / The Merritt Herald

Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz addresses SILGA representatives on Wednesday, April 30.

A Kamloops-sponsored resolution to revolutionize policing cost-sharing models between municipalities and the provincial and federal governments was unanimously carried at this year’s Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) conference.

Each year, representatives from 37 municipalities within SILGA’s borders meet to discuss issues and decide which resolutions to bring forward to the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities conference and provincial ministers.

While many member municipalities deal with common issues like wildfire threats, few resolutions are unanimously carried.

The resolution brought forward by the City of Kamloops and presented by Coun. Katie Neustaeter calling for a change to RCMP cost models in B.C. was one of the exceptions from the resolution session on Wednesday, April 30.

“[Current RCMP costs] is a wild burden to be placing on municipalities right now,” Neustaeter said during her time on the floor.

She noted municipalities have no say in individual contract negotiations or how much equipment their detachment receives.

“I can’t think of another example where anyone provides a service and there’s absolutely no input from the party that’s actually footing the bill."

Under the existing RCMP cost-sharing model, municipalities have to pay a majority of the expense. Municipalities — like Kamloops — with a population greater than 15,000 must pay 90 per cent of the bill, while municipalities with less than 15,000 residents pay 70 per cent.

In both cases, the federal government pays the remaining portion of the costs.

The City of Kamloops has previously stated a quarter of its 2025 operating budget is going to its RCMP detachment, with $34.6 million being put aside for the contract alone.

Neustaeter added revenue the city generates comes solely from property taxes, a practice she calls “archaic."

“Nothing about it is equitable for the people who are receiving the services,” she said about the cost-sharing model.

The resolution was unanimously carried by all SILGA representatives.

Supporting Kamloops in this resolution is the City of Merritt, who brought forward its own resolution to develop a new funding framework. Merritt has also seen their policing costs skyrocket, with Mayor Mike Goetz saying the cost of their detachment is now $3.5 million annually compared to the $1.5 million in 2008.

Merritt recently announced an 11 per cent tax increase. The tax increase could have been lowered to as low as eight per cent at the cost of losing 24-hour police service in the city.

“We literally are maybe to the point where we have to cut warm bodies in order to keep our taxes down,” Goetz said. “We would hate to see that happen, but we are heading there unless we can get a model change.”

During his time on the floor, he mentioned a deal akin to 50 per cent costs for both sides would be fair.

Merritt’s resolution was also unanimously supported by SILGA representatives.

UBCM commented that the Special Committee for Reforming the Police Act issued its final report in 2020. This report recommended the province “create a fair and equitable shared funding model for municipalities."