Lake of Bays is fighting how the cost of the OPP is rolled out in Muskoka. Mayor Bob Young is asking township residents to send a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne asking her to take a look into how the it pays for the police service.
The way it works now, the District of Muskoka is sent the bill for the OPP and then it is split up amongst all six municipalities. He says the cost is distributed based on property assessments, which has nothing to do with policing. He says all that does is jack up the price for the townships while reducing the cost for the towns.
Young says this issue has come up at District of Muskoka council meetings, but with 10 township councillors and 12 town councillors, it never gets very far.
He says Lake of Bays is pushing for a change in the Police Services Act to make the costing model open and transparent.
Young says this issue stems from when the province downloaded the cost of the OPP to the district. He calls the current model unfair for the townships.
Young says the cost for Lake of Bays should be $1.2 million, but it’s pushed up to $1.8 million. Â That means for every $100,000 of assessments on your home, there’s an extra $21 in taxes. On a $700,000 home the increase is $146.
Young says Lake of Bays residents can help to put the pressure on Queen’s Park by sending in a letter. There is a draft letter to sign and send in, or you can create your own.
He says time is of the essence, as the Police Services Act is being reviewed in the fall.
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