The Ottawa City Police 2011 draft budget
This is another story about “entitlement” to taxpayer’s cash for excessive levels of employee compensation. It applies to the City of Ottawa Police Service, Toronto Police Service and other service boards in Ontario, including the Ontario Provincial Police.
In Ottawa, it is apparent from the number of policeman with salaries, not including benefits, reaching well in excess of $100,000 annually. All of the individuals of various ranks are listed on the annual Ontario Government report for each city, of salaries over $100,000. It is troubling to say the least.
For the City of Ottawa, the police had a total budget of $128,818,000 in 2001. In that year, employee costs were $108,158,000 or 84 percent of the budget. The number of civilian and police officers in 2001 totaled 1,486. That’s $72,785.00 average cost per employee.
Fast forward to the 2011 draft budget and we find that Gross Expenditures are $258,013,000, revenue of $19,175,000. The revenue comes from the Federal and Provincial Governments (your tax dollar) and $8,837,000 in projected fines. So much for the rumour about quotas for fines!
Therefore, this means that the financial requirement for the operation of the City Police has increased 104 percent in the period 2001 to 2011. How can that be? Continue reading!
Projected employee costs in the 2011 draft budget totals $210,159,000 plus overtime expense of $5,375,000 or $215,534,000. That’s 83 percent of the Budget, approximately the same as in 2001. The number of civilian and police officers for 2011 total 1,946 or $110,757.00 per employee. This figure is actually low for the police officers. Civilian salaries are lower.
So let’s see what is happening. The growth in the number of employees from 2001 to 2011 is 31 percent. That’s much higher than the population growth. And even with a 31 percent growth in employees, the total compensation costs increased 67.3 percent. And the total budget requirement has more than doubled.
This is called “entitlement”.
The City of Toronto Police Department expenses 90 percent of its total budget on compensation, the City of Ottawa at 84 percent, the City of Ottawa Fire Services at 90 percent. You begin to see the problem. And this problem must be resolved soon.
What we haven’t tackled are the unfunded future pension costs for the Police Department. This is a disaster in waiting.
The Ontario Provincial Police “ Brother’s” Union appear to be the “lead” in manipulating municipal police compensation and it is past the time that the Ontario Government rectify this unsatisfactory situation now.
Do you know of any other organization or private business that can expense upwards of 90 percent of its earned revenue on employee compensation? I don’t think so.
Taxpayer’s dollars are there for the taking and the barrel is never empty. Or so you think.
Bill O’Malley
