Barrie police anticipate surplus in 2022 operating budget

With only a few months left in the year, the Barrie Police Service is projecting an operating surplus of more than $110,000 for 2022. 

The operating variance report, which was presented during the Barrie Police Services Board’s recent meeting, noted the surplus is for the period ended Oct. 31, 2022, which represents 83 per cent of the budget year. The surplus equals approximately 0.2 per cent of the force’s total operating budget of $58,945,246.

Total year-to-date salaries and benefits equal $44,196,889 — or 79.5 per cent of the annual budget, operating expenditures total $6,489,485 or 92.6 per cent — of the annual budget and revenues are $5,606,832 or 100.8 per cent of budgeted revenue. Total net expenditures for the period, according to the staff report, were $45,103,294 or 79.1 per cent of the approved net operating budget. The projected net results for the period ended Oct. 31, 2022, is a surplus of $110,989. 

“Year-to-date police and civilian salary costs represent 77.1 per cent of the annual budget,” finance manager Tyrell Turner noted in the report. “Included in the reported amounts are negotiated contractual increases and reclassifications as well as payouts for members who retired in the first 10 months of 2022.”

Year-to-date overtime is 184 per cent of the annual budget.

“Overtime costs incurred have been significant due to the delay in replacement of retired and resigned members. To maintain minimum deployment requirements, members have been working overtime shift supplements,” Turner explained in the report. “Although replacement of members is in progress and all vacancies will be filled by the end of the current year, the service will have a deficit in overtime costs in 2022.

“Overtime costs are closely monitored and non-essential overtime is not permitted,” he added. 

Police and civilian benefits costs are 80.2 per cent of the annual budget, Turner continued in the report, noting benefits costs are typically higher during the first half of the year until CPP and EI premiums have reached their maximum annual contribution limits.

The police department has several revenue sources, including the Court Security Prisoner Transportation (CSPT) grant, which had been confirmed in March 2022 in the amount of $2,640,479 — although the actual funding for 2022 is reportedly $64,676 less than had been anticipated in the budget.

The Community Safety in Policing (CSP) grant for local priorities funding of $760,789 was approved, which is reportedly $151,714 more than anticipated. 

The CSP grant for provincial priorities funding was also approved in March 2022 in the amount of $456,460, which is reportedly $356,460 higher than what had been budgeted, Turner explained in the report.

“Year-to-date general revenue is 105.7 per cent of the annual budget. Certain revenue sources including paid duty fees and disposition of fixed assets are higher in the first ten months of 2022 as compared to 2021. It is anticipated that overall general revenue will be $150,000 in excess of budgeted amounts,” he stated, adding that as a result of increased overtime costs, discretionary spending had been halted on July 1 in order to “mitigate the risk of a budgetary deficit.”

“As of Oct. 31, the Barrie Police Service was projecting a year-end surplus of $110,989, which is within 0.2 per cent of the total 2022 budget and may still fluctuate in the final two months of 2022,” Chief Kimberley Greenwood told BarrieToday via email. “The November budget variance report will be provided to the Barrie Police Services Board at the Jan. 19 open meeting, with the 2022 year-end results being presented to the board once year-end activities have been completed.”