MOOSE JAW — The Board of Police Commissioners has approved the Moose Jaw Police Service’s updated 2025 budget, which sees a decrease in the request for operating funding of almost three per cent.
The police board met on Jan. 24 to review and pass the updated capital and operating budgets, which city council rejected during its Jan. 20 budget meeting because the initial requests exceeded the cost-of-living index “by a considerable margin” and were unaffordable for residents.
However, the updated budget features an operating request of $12,830,258, which represents an increase in net funding of $584,355 or 4.77 per cent over last year, according to a board report. However, it is 2.66-per-cent less — a decrease of $325,516 — compared to the first budget demand.
This operating request also includes $330,000 from the automated speed enforcement fund for traffic safety initiatives.
Since one percentage point of municipal taxation this year is $387,402, the police service’s overall request could add 1.51 per cent to the municipal tax hike.
This decrease in operating funding occurred because of more unexpected or unanticipated retirements and resignations since the first budget’s development, the report noted.
Meanwhile, the capital funding request has decreased by $110,569 — or 31.8 per cent — to $234,431, the report said. The police service is also carrying forward $79,569 in capital funding from 2024.
The changes are due to reductions in projects with office renovations, a sidewalk replacement and contributions to the elevator replacement fund.
The second-floor office renovation project was divided into two phases, with phase 1 using capital budget funding and phase 2 using capital reserve, explained Acting Chief Rick Johns.
Phase 1 included constructing additional office space to “help with a growing organization” of more officers, while phase 2 focused on extra renovations — new carpet and tile — to ensure a consistent interior design in the new office, he continued.
However, the MJPS will postpone phase 2 and apply the nearly $80,000 reserve money to the capital funding request. Furthermore, the sidewalk repair and replacement will be delayed until 2026.
“I have no issue with postponing that (office renovation project) to assist with the budget and we can kick that down the road,” said Johns.
Furthermore, the agency should be OK with punting the sidewalk replacement into next year, as the maintenance manager has done well in patching that infrastructure, he continued. However, it must be replaced “in the near future.”
Police leadership also reviewed the risk of reducing funding to the elevator replacement fund considering the machine’s age and availability of parts and determined, based on the most recent inspection report, that they could squeeze out another year with it, added Johns.
Commissioner Jamey Logan inquired about the budget’s training and education expense line, noting that it had increased; this year, it’s $170,000 compared to $100,000 last year.
Finance officer Lisa Renwick replied that the category supports sending the new provincially funded officers to the Saskatchewan Police College, while it also allows current officers to attend expensive training this year. Specifically, a new forensic identification officer must go to Ottawa for a three-month course.
After the board approved the MJPS’s updated 2025 budget request, Logan pointed out that the document would go back to council for consideration. Should that group reject the document again, it would have the power to set the operating percentage increase and the police board would have to determine how to make that work.
“Stay tuned,” chuckled board chairman Mayor James Murdock.
