One the main reasons Wingham has the highest tax rate in Ontario is the very high cost of Wingham Policing. WFP has fought for many years to get council to publicly admit that the OPP cost half that of the Wingham police. The OPP have done numerous press releases over the years regarding their cost, as towns with municipal forces have been caught lying to the Public about pricing, just so they can keep their cop buddies in power and get special treatment for friends and family.
Trevor “magic beans” Seip revealed the police board made no attempt to get pricing before handing over a 3 year contract to the Wingham Police. This cost Wingham taxpayers an extra $1.5 MILLION dollars, which goes into the pockets of the Wingham Police while our town rots and our reserves are depleted.
It is widely known that the OPP cost about $350/household and the Wingham police cost almost $700/household. Council has refused to release OPP pricing for Wingham for over 6 years, while rubber stamping the Wingham police budget year after year. When a Municipal Government awards million dollar “no tender contracts” to friends and family, arrests should be made!
Council has refused to release OPP pricing as it would outrage the Public once it is officially confirmed we have been paying double for policing. This would be indisputable proof that they have failed to uphold the Municipal Act, and the Wingham police are 50% of our budget problem that gives us the highest tax rate in Ontario.
In the 02May2016 Agenda Package it is revealed that the OPP will NOT offer a price for Wingham, since the Wingham Police is in the process of providing a cost estimate for Blyth and East-Wawanosh.
Since council is moving forward with cost estimates for turning the Wingham police into the “North Huron Police”, they are effectively blocking the release of OPP costing for Wingham.
From the 02May2016 Agenda Package
Chief Poole noted that he had been contacted by Kevin Hummell who was the OPP Officer designated by the Municipal Policing Bureau to prepare the OPP costing for North Huron. Mr. Hummell advised that the OPP would not provide a costing if the Wingham Police Service was also in the process of providing a cost estimate to extend services to the Blyth and East Wawanosh Wards. It was noted that we would likely receive further clarification when the Police Advisory Committee and the OPP held their first meeting.
