Police Operating Budget

Municipal police operating budgets are often one of the largest single expense categories for municipalities, funded primarily by property taxes.

Staff salaries account for the vast majority of operating budget expenditures and salary increases are primarily controlled by negotiated collective agreements between the police association and the Police Services Board (PSB). Police services must meet the requirements of the Community Safety and Policing Act and Adequate and Effective Policing regulation.

Municipal councils cannot veto individual line items in police budgets, but they can send it back to the PSB requesting costs be cut or offer a lower budget total. Budget disputes go to joint conciliation or binding arbitration.