Almost six years since a newly elected 性视界传媒 council voted at the 2018 inaugural meeting to change policing agencies in 性视界传媒, a final deal has been made between the province and the city.
It has been a long-running and very expensive soap opera. Taxpayers will be footing the bill for decades to come.
Former mayor Doug McCallum, who was known to have an axe to grind with 性视界传媒 RCMP, pushed for a switch to the 性视界传媒 Police Service. He won the 2018 election after 13 years in the political wilderness, as a result of a vote split involving two rival candidates who had been 性视界传媒 First teammates; receiving support for his policing idea; and by pledging to have SkyTrain built along Fraser Highway.
Eight of the nine elected council members were part of his Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition, including Brenda Locke. McCallum was the only one elected with previous council experience.
Naturally, he pushed the two projects forward and council often found out critical details at a late date. Locke and Coun. Jack Hundial left SSC over McCallum鈥檚 approach, while SSC Coun. Steven Pettigrew also bolted. That left McCallum with a 5-4 majority for the balance of the term.
With approval from Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, who said no referendum should take place, the 性视界传媒 Police Service slowly took shape.
Locke ran for mayor in 2022 and defeated McCallum by a narrow margin. Her 性视界传媒 Connect slate won five seats on council, and immediately moved to stop the transition and retain 性视界传媒 RCMP. Locke said she took that position to save money for taxpayers.
Farnworth was not pleased. Despite an offer of an additional $150 million from the province, council held firm. Farnworth then used provincial power to force the transition. 性视界传媒 sued, but lost. A final settlement of up to $250 million was agreed on in early July.
The province will pay up to $20 million extra per year for five years to make up for the difference between 性视界传媒 Police pay and RCMP pay. RCMP salaries have risen by quite a significant amount since the National Police Federation reached a contract with the federal government. Thus the difference won鈥檛 be as great as it would have been had RCMP salaries remained at lower levels.
性视界传媒 Police now has some police cars of their own and will become the police agency of record in late November 鈥� just over a month after the provincial election. The governing NDP is hoping 性视界传媒 voters don鈥檛 punish them for all the delays and extra costs. With this deal, that may happen.
Nonetheless, the actions by two mayors, two different councils and the NDP provincial government over the past six years have left taxpayers with plenty of financial bruises. If they would have had the ability to see forward six years back in 2018, McCallum鈥檚 policing pledge may have never been fulfilled.
Frank Bucholtz writes every second week for Black Press Media publications.
