The RCMP have begun moving into its new Surrey headquarters and at least one mayor is not happy about it.
The Mounties are moving into the Green Timbers facility in phases with everyone moved in by mid-April.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan is shaking his head as the RCMP make the move, noting the cost to local governments remains a mystery.
“We asked over and over again that the minister Shirley Bond deal with that issue while they were negotiating the contract but again we took short shrift we were the ones who were left out while she negotiated issues for the provincial government municipal governments who are paying the bulk of the bill were left out.”
Corrigan says it is a flawed system and a perfect example of problems coming from Ottawa.
“Despite the best efforts of our local detachments, our local superintendents, to try and get information and work with us on a daily basis it seems the bureaucracy in Ottawa has a level of arrogance that leaves even their local police officers astounded.”
Corrigan says it doesn’t add up when you build first and figure out the costs later.
“We weren’t even consulted about the Green Timbers site or exactly what role it would play in regard to regional policing and what impact there would be on costs for local government as a result of it, in fact it was really done behind the scenes by the federal
The Mayor of Langley city who represents local governments on the RCMP contract management committee says a hard line has been drawn on costs.
Peter Fassbender says local governments and the province have told Ottawa they won’t pay only their fair share for the RCMP headquarters.
But Fassbender couldn’t say what, roughly, that might be.
“I don’t because the bottom line is we will not be on the hook for anymore than we would normally pay in our previous relationship in the other buildings and that is the position we have taken so that is what we are going to stand by.”
Fassbender admits the process is off kilter with the RCMP headquarters built first and costs negotiated later.
“It is not supposed to work that way and absolutely you know this building was started long before we finished the contract negotiations and under the new contract this would never happen again.”
The Green Timbers facility cost 263 million dollars to build but other cost drivers like financing over 25 years put the bill over a billion dollars.
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