Councillor Carr asks Belleville Police Board questions ahead of budget discussion

This letter is in response to the statement issued on behalf of Belleville Police Service (BPS) members, the Police Service Board, Chair Heather Smith, and Chief Murray Rodd regarding the BPS’s 2026 operating budget request.

Ms. Heather Smith
Chair, Belleville Police Service Board

Dear Ms. Smith,
Re: Belleville Police Services Board 2026 Operating Budget

During previous deputations to City Council you had suggested that receiving questions in advance would assist in ensuring that full information can be provided. I committed to provide you with some questions and this correspondence will serve as such in advance of the Special Council meeting on February 25, 2025 where City Council will deliberate the draft 2026 Operating Budget, including the Belleville Police Services Board 2026 Operating Budget funding request.

During previous deputations to City Council you had suggested that receiving questions in advance would assist in ensuring that full information can be provided. I committed to provide you with some questions and this correspondence will serve as such in advance of the Special Council meeting on February 25 where City Council will deliberate the draft 2026 Operating Budget, including the Belleville Police Services Board 2026 Operating Budget funding request.

As you are aware, for several years I have expressed concern with the exponential increase in the Belleville Police Services Board annual operating budget funding requests. This year is no different given the approximately 16% increase, resulting in a 3.28% tax impact, which is by far the largest of all budget categories. Over the past five years, the police budget has increased approximately 62%. Given the economic reality of our residents, these increases are simply unsustainable.

I pose these questions to the Board under the context of cost control, Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) compliance and tax impact.

Adequate & Effective Policing (Legal Threshold)

1. What is the minimum standard for adequate and effective policing under the CSPA? Please provide a detailed itemization of which areas the BPS is not meeting, meeting or exceeding this legal requirement.
2. The minutes of the Police Board meeting on November 20, 2025 read, “Many of the costs are related to training and other obligations that are mandatory under the Community Safety and Policing Act that came into effect in February 2024.” Can you identify the new training and “other obligations” that are required under the CSPA and provide the direct link in the law and / or regulations as well as a breakdown of costs?
3. Please break down your calls for service by type. How many calls for service are mental health related? Out of the mental health calls, how many were impact team responded versus officer only? How many calls would be considered non-core police functions?

Staffing Levels and Growth

1. What empirical evidence demonstrates that Belleville requires additional sworn officers to remain CSPA-compliant?
2. How many sworn officers are currently assigned to non-frontline or administrative functions? What is the annual cost of those positions?

Overtime Control

1. What percentage of total compensation costs is overtime?
2. What has been the total annual cost for overtime in the past 5 years?
3. What is the overtime budget for 2026?
4. What formal overtime reduction target has the Board approved for the coming budget year? If none, why not?

Budget Accountability and Tax Impact

1. What specific cost-containment instructions had the Board issued to the Chief for the 2026 budget year?
2. What budget reduction options were explicitly considered and rejected? Please list them and the rationale for each rejection.
3. What was the Board’s threshold for tax impact?
4. In the last 5 years, annual budgets included funds for hiring. Please outline the annual planned hiring versus actual hiring as well as corresponding expenditure amount for the past 5 years. If there were unused funds due to the lack of hiring, please advise the amount of unused funds and where those funds were reallocated to?
5. Without breaching the CSPA, what specific changes could the Board make to reduce the budget? If the answer is “none”, please explain how every dollar in the current police budget is legally unavoidable by providing direct links (identifying specific sections of the act and regulations)

Paul Carr,
Councillor City of Belleville