PROVINCE ANNOUNCES MORE EQUITABLE POLICE FUNDING (BUT NOT FOR VERNON)

NEWS RELEASE GOV> B.C. Oct 23/06
VICTORIA – A new revised funding formula for policing in the province balances rural community concerns with the need for all British Columbians to contribute their fair share, Solicitor General John Les said today at the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention. “A more equitable funding model has been in the works for a number of years, but what we’re announcing today strongly reflects the work we’ve done with communities and local governments to listen to their concerns,” said Les. Currently, urban residents pay 70 to 100 per cent of police costs, while an estimated 660,000 rural residents pay far less. Under the new system, small communities and rural areas will pay less than 50 per cent of the Province’s cost to police these areas. They will also be entitled to traffic fine revenue from the Province to help offset those costs. After consultations with UBCM, the Province has also acknowledged that rural areas contribute to police costs through rural property taxes. To recognize this contribution, people living in rural areas will see a further decrease of $.10 per thousand of assessment. The reduction in rural rates amounts to about $7.5 million in savings for rural areas.Overall policing costs for small communities and rural areas are about $60-$65 million annually. This formula recovers about $25 million of that total. The formula is based on assessed property value and population. Rural communities are defined as communities with less than 5,000 residents. The new police financing model is scheduled to be implemented in January 2007.