HomeLocal NewsCouncil tackles $54M Kingston police budget request for 2025

Council tackles $54M Kingston police budget request for 2025

During Kingston’s city budget deliberations, Kingston Police pitched a 2025 budget of $54,053,627, reflecting a 13.74% increase from 2024.

Chief Scott Fraser, who presented the budget before council, noted that newly settled collective agreements account for a large portion of the increase, with nondiscretionary items like salaries and benefits accounting for 86.2% of expenditures. 

Additional factors contributing to the budget hike include enhancing policing in the downtown core and complying with new provincial mandates under the Community Safety and Policing Act. 

The police budget alone contributes to a 2.5% rise in property taxes, prompting many questions from councillors. 

“We’ve got an honest approach to the next five years of policing,” stated Fraser. “…I know, I’m a taxpayer here as well. It’s not going to be easy. It is a tough pill to swallow.”

The budget was ultimately approved, with expectations of smaller increases in the coming years.

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