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The Moose Jaw Police Service’s 2025 operating and capital budget will be heading back to the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners.
During a city council budget meeting earlier this week, council voted unanimously to decline the proposed police budget, citing that the increases in the budget exceed the cost-of-living index of three per cent.
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The proposed budget was for $13 million for the operating budget, or a 7.43 per cent increase from 2024, and $344,000 for capital expenditures.
Newly appointed board members Mayor James Murdock and Coun. Jamey Logan raised concerns over the fact that the budget was never approved by the new board.
The budget was first presented to the board in early November. However, the municipal election took place after that, on Nov. 13, with the three board members from city council not being re-elected.
The new board did get an overview of the approved budget at the Nov. 28 board meeting.
“As you may or may not know, currently I sit on the Board of Police Commissioners, and the three of us who were newly elected to that position as of late hadn’t really put our stamp on that. So, personally, I would like to see us potentially go back, have a look at it, and get our seal of approval on it,” Logan said.
The third newly appointed board member, Coun. Dawn Luhning, also raised concerns about how much the police service was spending.
“The amount that the service is requesting is, you hate to say excessive, but it is quite a bit when you consider what we’re looking at as a city as a whole,” Luhning said.
Because the Board of Police Commissioners acts as an independent body from city council, council can decide how much to fund the police service for, but how those funds are spent is up to the board of commissioners.
According to The Police Act, 1990, city council can decline the budget and send it back to the board but must state reasons why. The board will then submit a revised budget. If it is still not approved, council can set the final amount for the budget, and under the Act, council’s decision is final.
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