Belleville Police Services Board approves $33.5M 2026 Operating Budget – a 15% increase, would cause a 3.5% property tax increase

Published Nov 20, 2025, edited Dec 16, 2025

Nov 20, 2025

motion

The Belleville Police Services Board (BPSB) approved the 2026 Police Operating Budget of $33,524,718 – a 15% increase ($4,531,218) over their 2025 budget which would cause a 3% property tax increase.

Director of Finance gave an overview of the 2026 Operational Budget that was shared as part of the revised agenda. There followed extensive discussion of the cost of policing in this region and across the province. 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. That act requires that the Board ensure the provision of adequate and effective policing.
Moved By: Ms. Harnden
Seconded By: Vice Chair Enright Miller
THAT the Belleville Police Services Board approve and forward the 2026 Belleville Police Service operating budget in the amount of $33,524,718 to City Council for consideration during its upcoming Budget Deliberations and; THAT Chair Heather Smith, Chief Rodd and Deputy Chief Meeks be authorized to present the 2026 Operating Budget to City Council.
The motion carried, with four votes in favour and one vote against.
Meeting minutes

The budget will be presented to, and reviewed by Council during the February 2026 budget meeting.

The increase is reportedly primarily due to hiring more staff, including:

Hire 6 officers to fill vacant positions or prepare for upcoming retirements
Hire 2 additional officers
Hire 5 additional support staff including special constables, an administrative assistant, a digital evidence redaction specialist, and a court clerk.

If approved by Council, Belleville Police Service’s operating budget has increased 57.6% ($12,256,318) over the past 4 years (2022-2026) and 62% ($12,878,118) in the last 5 years (2021-2026) for an average annual increase of 10.2%.

Value-for-Money audit of policing rejected in 2024

In 2013, Belleville Council rejected funding a report on the cost of OPP policing.

In 2024, Belleville Council rejected Councillor Carr’s Value for Money Audit of policing proposal.

Copy of the budget not included in public agenda

The Police Operating Budget was “walked on” to the agenda during the meeting without previous public notice. The approved operating budget has not been made available to the public.

Instead, the public (and Council) learned about the approval of the budget when it was reported by InQuinte and Quinte News:

I have referenced news coverage of the Police Service Board operating budget because it was not included in their public agenda for today’s meeting nor was it posted to the Police Service Board’s webpage. Apparently, the Police Operating Budget was walked on to the agenda during today’s meeting without public notice and even now there is no public copy of the budget available.
Councillor Carr

Two days earlier, Belleville Police Board Chair did not know the impact the Capital Budget would have on their Operating Budget

What is also perplexing with this news is that I posed a question to the Police Board Chair during their deputation earlier this week during City Council’s Capital Budget meeting where I asked what the Police Capital Budget impact would be on their Operating Budget. I, along with City Council, were told that figure was not available. Yet, two days later the Police Board approves their operating budget which would have most definitely included those figures.
Councillor Carr

Peterborough Council pushing back on police budget

In 2025, Peterborough City Council rejected the Police Service Boards’s original ask for a 8.8% increase, forcing them to return with a 7.7% increase instead. Peterborough Police Services Board (PPSB) was willing to find efficiencies and agreed to a 7.8% increase (approximately $37.8 million). City Council voted unanimously (11-0) to approve the revised budget.

In 2026, City Council again attempted to check rising policing costs by sending back the Police Service Board’s original ask for a 9.22% increase to $41.5 million on November 18, returning it to the Police Services Board and asking for further reductions. The Board rejected Council’s request for cuts lesse than 24 hours later, unanimously voting to maintain the status quo. Despite political pressure to lower the tax burden, the Board and Chief Stuart Betts argued the hike is driven by non-discretionary personnel costs and mandatory compliance with Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act, leaving no room for further cuts.

If a municipal council refuses to approve the total budget requested by the Police Service Board, and the Board believes the approved amount is insufficient to provide “adequate and effective policing,” the dispute may be referred to conciliation or binding arbitration.

Cobourg Council pushing back police budget

In Cobourg, the Police Service Board is requesting 20.5% increase (around $1.6 million) for its 2026 operating budget, over five times the 4% limit directed by Mayor Lucas Cleveland. On November 18, 2025, Cobourg Council voted to return the budget to the Police Services Board, calling the double-digit hike “untenable” and “unacceptable.”

Mayor Cleveland, attempting to exercise Strong Mayor Powers to cap the increase, argued the tax burden would be too great for residents. However, much like in Peterborough, the Police Board convened a special meeting the next day (November 19) and voted to send the budget back to Council without a single reduction.

Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf defended the 20.5% spike as a necessary “correction.” He argued that the previous year’s budget was artificially suppressed by using one-time reserve funds, creating a shortfall that now must be covered to meet mandatory legislative requirements under the Community Safety and Policing Act.

Contact information

BPSB members are:

Heather Smith, Chair
Barbara Enright-Miller, Vice Chair
Mayor Neil Ellis, member
James O’Brien, member
Janet Harnden, member

And known members of the BPSB Budget Committee are:

Councillor Enright-Miller
Janet Harnden

You can contact the BPSB at [email protected]

Motion

Result: Carried

Open Council commentary

Municipalities must prioritize accountability and transparency.

Belleville Police Service states its commitment to transparency and accountability in its 2024 Annual Report:

Focused on supporting and assisting victims of crime, managing and deploying resources in a sustainable manner and maintaining public trust and ensuring transparency and accountability

And its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan:

This plan sets clear goals and priorities to meet the needs of our community. It is about enabling and supporting the people on the frontlines, strengthening trust through collaboration and transparency, and providing the tools and resources needed
to meet evolving demands.

And the Police Chief’s statement on the 2026 Operating Budget increase:

I want to remind residents that this budget has been developed with transparency, accountability, and community safety at the forefront.

How can that be the case when the:

BPSB does not publish its Procedural Bylaw, policies or other procedures online.
BPSB does not publish recordings of its budget meetings to YouTube, like it did in 2021.
2026 Capital Budget was presented and approved in a closed meeting.
BPSB’s Budget Committee does not provide public notice, agendas or minutes to the public.
2026 Operating Budget was “walked on” (introduced at the meeting without prior public notice) to the BPSB meeting.
Approved operating budget was not made available to the public until November 22.

And when these concerns are raised to the BPSB, members of the public are left waiting weeks for a reply.

These actions make it seem as though the Belleville Police Board believes they are above public scrutiny.

When police operating budgets are approved ‘fait accompli’ (before the public sees it, making it seem like there’s no option but to accept it) it undermines that commitment. This practice is actively detrimental to transparent and accountable governance and maintaining public trust. When operating budgets development and decisions are hidden, residents (and media) lose their ability to respond, shape the decision-making process and hold the Board accountable.

Open Council recommendations

Belleville Council should send this budget back to the BPSB and demand reductions as Cobourg’s and Peterborough’s councils have done.
BPSB should report to Council what portion of the increase is mandatory due to comply with the CPSA, and what portion has been previously funded by the Government of Ontario (ie. downloaded to the municipality).
BPSB should update its transparency policy and Procedural Bylaw to follow through on the transparency and accountability they claim they provide.