The first draft of the 2015 budget for Waterloo Regional Police, presented Tuesday to the region’s police board, would see the average homeowner pay an extra $12 for policing services.
If approved as is, that would represent the smallest increase in the police budget in four years.
“We think it’s a prudent, responsible and financially accountable budget,” Chief Bryan Larkin said.
The budget calls for a 3.64 per cent increase – representing a 0.7 per cent increase to the region’s total budget.
Included within that increase is the hiring of four new civilian staff members, as well as $181,000 for the first phase of a four-year plan to provide all frontline officers with conducted energy weapons.
Tom Galloway, who chairs the police board, says he’s happy with the “bare bones” budget presented.
Still, the board asked Larkin to come up with a secondary proposal – one that would cost taxpayers about $500,000 less.
“It’s not that we would necessarily do any of that, but we want him to have an opportunity to give us some options,” Galloway told CTV News.
Staffing expenses make up approximately 93 per cent of the police budget, with the remainder of the funding used for items like fuel, uniforms and supplies.
The budget returns to the police board in January, and everyone involved hopes to have it finalized by March.
