Does Niagara-on-the-Lake pay too much for police compared to the other communities in Niagara? The town’s regional councillor says so — and she wants to see the way the municipalities in the region pay into its police service change.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Regional Coun. Andrea Kaiser criticized the cost of police services for her municipality during a regional council meeting on June 26, saying it is a longstanding concern among NOTL residents.
Kaiser said that right now, NOTL residents pay $786 per household to support Niagara Regional Police, the highest rate in the region. They pay $238 more than the next-highest municipality, Grimsby, which follows with $458. Welland, at $255, pays the least.
“In 10 years on municipal council, this was an ongoing issue,” said Kaiser.
Regional council passed a motion that asks for a report to address the pay discrepancy and new funding models for the Niagara region.
Police funding in Niagara Region is funded through a combination of general levy funds and user fees. Kaiser said the current model was instituted in 2015.
The proposal met mixed reactions from council. Kaiser acknowledged that not all members would support the motion.
“I know this is not a popular motion with a number of people at the table who’ve expressed concerns,” Kaiser said.
“Why would they put additional funds on their taxpayers and their municipality? I think it’s our job to be fair and treat everyone in the municipality fairly.”
She said that her staff already outlined specific recommendations in her statement, which included allowing the Ontario government to approve a non-standard tax model and allowing municipalities to levy specific charges for services like policing
However, she didn’t share what these policies would be — the upcoming report will include those details, she told The Lake Report.
Kaiser also suggested using other funding models for different services in Niagara as a template for policing.
“Garbage was once based on assessment, so we made that change,” she said. “We also made the change in terms of transit. I don’t understand why we don’t do the same thing for policing.”
Regional Couns. Tom Insinna of Fort Erie and Bob Gale of Niagara Falls, who’s a former police officer, shared their support for Kaiser’s motion.
Gale proposed expanding the list of potential solutions by adding the phrase “but not limited to” into the motion.
Not all members of council were on board, however.
“This will help residents in Niagara-on-the-Lake but harm the rest of the region,” said St. Catharines Regional Coun. Laura Ip. “The difference in cost allocation isn’t inequitable at all. It reflects socioeconomic differences between municipalities.”
Ip drew a comparison to regional road funding, noting that NOTL residents pay more per person than those in St. Catharines. She argued that discrepancies in funding are not inherently problematic.
Regional Coun. Robert Foster of Lincoln said he was open to the report but questioned the potential outcomes. He said he doesn’t view the cost discrepancy as unfair.
“When your house is worth more, market value assessment is higher,” Foster said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Terry Ugulini, regional councillor and Mayor of Thorold, expressed reservations about changing the funding structure.
“Policing is part of the general levy,” Ugulini said. “I’m not in favour of even looking at adjusting that. Right or wrong, that’s where we’re at.”
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, also a regional councillor, said he hopes the motion will give the region viable options for changing the funding model.
