'It's ludicrous': municipalities concerned about retroactive pay for RCMP

Along with other cities and towns, the RCMP is responsible for policing in Selkirk.

Now a higher bill for those services is due, something Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson says his community can't afford.

"It's ludicrous the amount of money," said Johannson.

Last year Mounties signed a new collective agreement which included retroactive pay. Municipalities were not part of the negotiations but are on the hook for the one-time costs, and now have two years to cover the increase in wages.

Selkirk, which already spends 30 per cent of its budget on police, will now have to come up with an extra $475,000. Johannson said that could lead to tax hikes and service cuts elsewhere.

"$500,000 will do a road, will put a pipe in the ground, will go towards our buildings, heating them for kids to play hockey in, those kinds of things," said Johannson.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) says 21 of its members have direct service contracts for RCMP. The hike will cost them $5.1 million.

The AMM was hoping to see some relief in the federal budget, but there was no extra funding.

AMM Executive Director Denys Volkov said they’re pushing Ottawa to pay for what it calls an extreme burden for municipalities.

"For some municipalities that could mean six to 10 per cent property tax increase just to cover the retroactive cost," said Volkov.

CTV News reached out to the federal government for comment. We were told the offices we contacted were closed and a response was not likely coming Monday.

This is not the only added cost communities with RCMP are concerned about. Mounties could soon have body-worn cameras as a phased-in project is set to be rolled out.

There are questions as to who is going to pay for them.

"I don't even want to know that number cause I've got enough of a headache with the almost $500,000 with retroactive pay," said Johannson.