Council receives police services report and a $160,000 bill for 2013

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River Town Council received its annual report from the Ontario Provincial Police Monday evening during their regular monthly council meeting.
Inspector Steve Shouldice attended the meeting and outlined the services Rainy River received and the amount the community will be billed for policing this year.
Shouldice said that using provincial formulas the bare minimum expected hours of policing in Rainy River are 1,308.31. However, in 2012 the community actually received 3,045 hours of service. Of those 987.25 were of patrol.
Shouldice said that estimated policing costs for 2012, using a 2010 cost formula had put the town at $149,291. However, at mid year a reconciliation saw the town at $68,997 in actual cost and in the second half of the year an actual cost of $74,646. "You actually had about an $8,000 credit at the end of the year," explained Shouldice.
This year the estimates for police costs to Rainy River have gone up to $160,451. Shouldice said that is due to an upgraded (to 2012) cost formula.
In the Rainy River District the O.P.P. received 7,880 calls for service last year, including 584 motor vehicle collisions.
Rainy River itself had 302 incidents last year; down slightly from 310 in 2011. Of those only 10 were violent crimes (down from 13) and 32 were property crimes (down from 37).
Clearance rates of these crimes were broken down as follows:
Property Crime
Canada: 23%
Ontario: 24%
RR 2011: 16.2%
RR 2012: 18.9%
Violent Crime
Canada: 72%
Ontario: 73%
RR 2011: 84.6%
RR 2012: 100%

The biggest jump in the type of Property Crime last year was in Break in Enters; up from 5 to 11.
Town budget woes
Finance Committee Chair Larry Armstrong told council that it is prudent that the entire council meet to work on the upcoming budget. "With the new MPAC property assessments it looks like we will have $13,000 less tax monies (if rates stay the same) to work with once all the who gets reduced and who was increased is worked out. We all need to sharpen our pencils."
Other business
•Mayor Deb Ewald reported that the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board has passed its budget and Rainy River will see a $7,500 reduction in cost. "And that includes a contingency cost should Rainy River Hospital ever close."
•Council awarded the tender for the hanging flower baskets to Lowey's Greenhouse at a cost of $1,000.
•Councillor Ashley Stamler reported that a Jr. Firefighters program will begin this month.