The Town of Bonnyville’s Mayor says the town is prepared to front the cost for the RCMP Retroactive costs.
Recently the town learned the federal government will pass on the RCMP Retroactive costs to municipalities but Bonnyville was prepared. Bonnyville’s Mayor Elisa Brosseau says it did not come as a surprise.
“The Town of Bonnyville started putting money away because we knew it might happen. So when the bill actually came we were already prepared and had it put aside. It has not affected us greatly.”
Despite being ready for the bill Brosseau says she was disappointed and left out. Brosseau says both she and the municipalities want to be in the room when the choices are made.
“I think an open conversation and being at the table when they go into negotiation as far as information sharing and knowing just how this will affect municipalities.”
The money put aside covered was just short of covering the full $355,763.00 bill but the town was able to pull a little from reserves to make up the difference. Since this was a separate line item the budget will not have to change and can proceed as planned.
“If we were not as planned from the get-go then it would have been a huge hit to our budget but because we had already been putting it away we were good.”