CANMORE – Canmore council approved hiring an additional bylaw peace officer in 2021 as part of this year's operational budget, but a move to reduce RCMP staff numbers in 2022 to offset the cost of increased municipal enforcement failed to get support from elected officials.
The issue of bylaw staffing levels and future funding needed to support the RCMP were important topics of debate during budget deliberations earlier this year.
Mayor John Borrowman said in January he was prepared to support a new peace officer position as part of the 2021 operating budget.
"I was expecting and prepared to support a request for increased staffing in the budget," he said. "I had thought, particularly given our experiences this past year, we would be increasing the number of bylaw peace officers."
General manager of municipal services Sally Caudill said administration was not prepared to put forward a request for $111,500 to support the staffing increase, given council direction to limit spending in the budget.
A motion to add another bylaw peace officer was put forward by Borrowman and approved during budget deliberations by the finance committee. The overall bylaw services operating budget was approved by council for 2021 at $1.7 million, up from $1.6 million approved in 2020.
Caudill also presented a request to provide peace officers with two e-bikes in 2021, a discretionary expense of $8,000 she said would be a good investment, particularly when Canmore is busy and there is traffic congestion, and staff need to respond quickly to the other side of town.
There were also funds included in the budget for training local peace officers to receive a level two designation, which is needed to be able to enforce public health orders during the pandemic.
When council voted last year on budget reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it included eliminating two seasonal peace officer positions. Those have been re-established in the 2021 budget as well.
The need for additional staffing when the decision was made was tied to the introduction of paid parking downtown, which didn't happen last year, and as a result, the budget was cut. But the additional visitation to the valley brought on by people seeking outdoor recreational opportunities also created an increase in demand on that department's time and resources, particularly when it came to managing parking at Quarry Lake.
Federal census may trigger increased RCMP contract costs
The annual RCMP budget is expected to increase significantly in 2022. In Alberta, the cost share breakdown for this service between municipalities and the province is based on a community's permanent population.
Currently, Canmore pays 70 per cent of the cost for that policing contract. Once the permanent population reaches 15,000 – which is expected to happen this year with the federal census – that increases to 90 per cent.
Manager of corporate services Therese Rogers said it is estimated to result in a $593,000 increase to the budget, or a 2.2 per cent municipal tax increase.
She proposed drawing the funds required to cover that increased expense from the tax stabilization reserve to offset the effect on tax rates next year, noting the reserve was created for this type of circumstance.
"That is something we have been planning for with the tax stabilization reserve in the last several years. We have been trying to increase the reserve in anticipation of these uncontrollable expenses," she said.
The reserve was budgeted to have a balance of $6.6 million at the end of 2020. It was used last year to help offset the costs related to COVID-19. When provincial and federal funding was received as part of the Municipal Operating Support Transfer program, it was replenished.
Caudill also indicated the RCMP are in contract negotiations with the province. Once finalized, it will likely mean an increase to the budget.
"[The RCMP in Alberta] have been without a contract for several years, so we have not seen an increase in some time," she said. "We are not involved in that at all. We just get a bill for the amount determined at the end of the negotiations."
In 2021, an operating budget of $3 million for the RCMP was approved, an increase from the $2.7 million in the 2020 budget.
The RCMP have 23 full-time officers on staff. That staffing is split, however, between positions for the municipality of Canmore (19) and rural positions for the MD of Bighorn (four) and can change when officers are on leave.
On the Town of Canmore roster, 1.5 positions – or $196,000 in the 2021 budget – is paid for through the revenues from the photo radar contract. The funding for one full-time equivalent position was established in 2008 to go towards a community policing position. Another 0.5 position was funded from the reserve in 2011.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton, Canmore RCMP's detachment commander, appeared at council in February to lobby to maintain its funding and staffing levels, as there had been some discussion about using photo radar funds for bylaw peace officers instead.
"When we look at potentially losing a member, one thing I have to look at is are we able to maintain policing 24 hours a day in our community," he said. "You also have to do an analysis of risk and how many members will I have to respond to any given circumstance."
Last year, he asked council to increase staffing levels by one position in 2023 and 2024. He said visitation in the Bow Valley is increasing, which results in an additional need for policing resources. One position would be for traffic and another a community resource officer, but they could adapt to community needs, he said.
Coun. Joanna McCallum put forward a motion during the final budget approval debate to remove one FTE funded by the photo radar from the 2022 operational budget and use the money for increased bylaw peace officer staffing.
She argued the RCMP was originally given the funding for a community resource officer and it was instead absorbed into its regular staff roster. She said the focus bylaw peace officers have in the community is for things the RCMP is not engaged with.
"Some of the things we are looking bylaw for to prioritize are not necessarily a priority for the RCMP and with our bylaw peace officers. We have the ability to direct their efforts in a more focused manner than the RCMP," she said.
McCallum said the position funded through photo radar is above and beyond what the community is required to have in place. She pointed out Canmore has the lowest severe crime index rating in the entire province and there is a greater need at this time for resources for municipal enforcement.
Councillors Esmé Comfort and Karen Marra supported the motion. However, it was defeated with Mayor John Borrowman and Councillors Rob Seeley, Jeff Hilstad and Vi Sandford voting against.
