Municipalities who have signed on to the new RCMP deal are on the hook for what could be massive costs after being blindsided by pay raises for the Mounties approved by Ottawa.
Langley City Mayor and municipal observer to the RCMP contract talks Peter Fassbender says they just found out.
“We got wind of it at a meeting on Tuesday of this week. A senior RCMP official communicated that to a group of administrators from the lower mainland and that’s when we were first made aware of it. I immediately called our provincial minister’s office. They were equally surprised when it came out.”
Fassbender has written a letter to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews asking for clarification from Ottawa, especially on costs.
He says while this will cause angst for municipalities still signing on to the RCMP deal, he urges patience until all the facts are clear.
David Eby, executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, wants to know how extra money could have been approved for the Mounties before details of a recent RCMP audit are made public.
“(I) can’t imagine there are a lot of British Columbians who thought that the major issue going into the negotiations was making sure that the Mounties received a raise.”
Eby says the B.C. government’s priority should be increased accountability.
“When we don’t even know how the Mounties are using the resources that they already have. This whole process has been conducted with British Columbians in the dark and I think the province should be releasing that audit to explain why they’re allocating money the way they are.”
Eby says salary adjustments should be expected in a contract that spans 20 years, but it’s obvious transparency remains a key concern.
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