Neepawa picking up the tab for RCMP pay increase

Municipalities across Canada forced to cover Ottawa’s deal

By Eoin Devereux Neepawa Banner & Press

Like many municipalities across Canada, the Town of Neepawa has been left paying a police bill handed down to them from the federal government. Last spring, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police signed a new collective agreement that included a backpay raise of 1.75 per cent for each year from 2017 to 2023. That deal has left municipalities on the hook for the additional $145 million, as Ottawa has said it will not absorb the additional cost. For Neepawa, their portion of the bill will come out to an extra $110,000 to cover within its budget.

While the Town has no issue with the fair compensation of RCMP members, it has expressed concern over how the situation was handled by the federal government. What’s at issue is the fact that municipalities were never consulted by Ottawa while it negotiated with the RCMP’s union for a pay raise. They are also unhappy with the decision from the feds to not simply forgive within its own budget, which was announced back in March.

On Tuesday, Apr. 18,