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Ottawa police’s proposed budget for 2025 includes growing its workforce by 50 positions, including 22 sworn members.
The Ottawa Police Services Board tabled its proposed 2025 budget on Wednesday, with a $16.3 million year-over-year increase to the force’s operating budget, which comes in at $388.7 million.
The 4.4 per cent increase is based on the city council-set tax rate, which is expected to rise by no less than 2.9 per cent, and an expected 1.5 per cent increase in assessment growth, which is due to the city’s growing population.
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It means the average urban household can expect to pay $20 more for police service this year. In 2024, $717 of the average urban household’s tax bill went to policing.
For the proposed 2024 budget, $20 million is earmarked for inflation, contract negotiations with the police force’s union, and a “staff stabilization plan” that will see 50 new hires. To that end, $8.1 million is budgeted to hire more officers to address retirements and long-term leaves among the force, to alleviate both overtime costs and pressure on frontline officers. The force also says it needs to grow to adequately serve the city’s growing population.
“That overtime has to come down, not only financially for our budget and for the community, but for our members to,” OPS chief Eric Stubbs told reporters after the buget was tabled.
Stubbs said by the end of the force’s three-year stabilization plan, OPS will have hired between 130 and 140 new officers — some of whom are new graduates, but others will also be experienced police officers.
The police force expects to hire 145 new people in 2025, but after expected retirements and attrition, the force is expected to grow its workforce by 22 sworn officers and 28 civilian roles, 10 of which will be special constables.
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Jon Sweet, the force’s director of finance, said the largest cost driver is collective bargaining changes, and hiring for officers who are off on extended absences. Some 84 per cent of the force’s gross budget goes to compensation, he added.
The force is also receiving significant funds from the provincial and federal government, including a parliamentary precinct that will see more OPS officers in and around Parliament Hill. There’s also a mounted police unit in the works, and the police helicopter in coordination with the OPP. The costs for those units are expected to be borne by the province.
The police force has also budgeted $30.2 million for its 2025 capital budget, which includes $5.4 million for its fleet of cars, $2.3 for IT infrastructure and $10.4 million for renovations to the Elgin Street headquarters.
Additionally, OPS and the city agreed the police force won’t pay $6 million for the city-owned land on Prince of Wales Drive the new South facility being built on. That cash can be returned to capital reserves.
The police board will hear delegations on the budget on Nov. 22, and the police force’s budget will come before city council on Dec. 11.
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