Committee rejects Ottawa police budget

A draft Ottawa police budget calling for a $2.7-million funding increase has been rejected by the police services board, even though it is $7.8 million lessthan initial projections.

City lawyers decided the budget could still be presented to city council laterWednesday afternoon asscheduled, butboard member Maria McRaehas proposed sending it back to the board next week.

The police service's proposed inflationary increase putsits operating budget at $187 million and its capital budget at $15.8 million next year.Initially, policeasked for a $10.5-million increase, but that demand was turned down earlier by the board.

Some of the strategies used to pare down the budget include reducing overtime costs and cutting new staff positions from 30 to 20.

Chief Vince Bevanwas not at the meeting, but said in a statement that the current requestisrequired to maintain staffing levels, as salary costs make up 83 per cent of the police budget something also emphasized by police director general Debra Frazer,who made the presentation to the board.

But board members told the police service it hadnot tried hard enough to reach a zero per cent increase.

The police service did table a version of the budget based on a zero per cent police tax increase, as requested by the board,but it cuts $2.2 million by eliminating 26 staff positions and reducing services.

"This option does not have my support at all," Bevan said in a statement.

Mayor Larry O'Brien has committed to freezing taxes this year despite initial city staff predictions of a $95-million budget shortfall.