Mayor Wants to send message re: DNA cost download
Prince George, B.C. – It is another case of government downloading, and Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall is not pleased.
At issue is the estimated $52 thousand dollars that Prince George will be expected to pony up for DNA tests for criminal investigations. The Federal and Provincial Governments have agreed to share the costs of the test, but B.C. opted to pass along the bill to those communities with populations over 5,000.
“We need to address this” says Mayor Lyn Hall “It’s part of our policing package.” He wants Council to write a letter to the Province “This is a hit for us.”
The policing budget is already pushing for extras with the wish list calling for 3 new officers and one admin position next year, and 2 more officers in each of the following two years. City staff will be looking at how adding 2 officers and an admin person would impact the 2016 budget, and the impacts on 2017 and 2018 as well. ( see previous story)
RCMP Superintendent Warren Brown is stuck in the middle on the downloading of the DNA testing issue. “I am torn sometimes between what the RCMP tell me to do and what serves the best needs of the City. As for the DNA ( cost download ) that frustrates me, yes it is a download, it is a significant cost, but I cannot compromise the cost of an investigation because of a DNA issue, and those are the things that keep me awake at night.”
The Union of BC Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are already pushing the senior levels of government to rethink the decision on this cost sharing plan.
Comments
Increase the “victim surcharge” and make the bad guys pay for this.
Yet 124k on a website he has no issue with? 15k on a trip to China is ok? Really guys? Where was this outrage earlier?
“Yet 124k on a website he has no issue with? 15k on a trip to China is ok? Really guys? Where was this outrage earlier? ”
This is an apple vs orange statement. The reality of it is, this is one of many things the province has downloaded onto municipalities.
Take the entire downloading list and list of insufficient support for services the province is supposed to provide. So far two since yesterday. I am sure there must be enough additional ones over the years to make it 10 at least.
Take brothers in arms from a few other communities and take a trip to Victoria, towing Bond and Morris with them and sit in front of the Premier’s office if they can’t get an appointment. Then invite the press with a statement crafted by our new communications guy.
UBCM is good for nothing as is FCM. Just delaying tactics. Time for action. Letters are not action.
If no response, then Ottawa. New regime there. Talk about getting provinces to give cities more power by looking at revising tax structure. Totally useless for Feds and Provs to cut taxes while Cities have few taxing alternatives.
Either they quit cutting taxes so that they can stop downloading, or give cities powers to tax income.
Regardless of which level of government pays for this, the source of the money is still the same old taxpayer.
We have way too many bureaucratic levels. Let’s start getting rid of them.
I fail to see how a municipality can order a DNA Test.Generally you see costs offloaded when there is abuse perceived from above.
Unbelievable . Disgusting ? Absolutely .who would vote for a d-bag like her ? The law and order righties ,that’s who .
Couple more Beer stores and raise the price of beers at arenas….this is jus to funny!!
How bout we PISS test all Public employees…at all levels of Gov……
What morris got to say?? 32yrs a copper!must be in good with crusty……
ataloss…her?
I disagree with Axeman. The source of taxes is not the same ol taxpayer. Federal, provincial, and municipal have far different taxes coming from far different tax payers. A hedge fund getting a tax break is not a struggling home owner paying property taxes, as much as a export resource company is not a home owner trying to heat their home. Social credit from quantitative easing to bail out banks is not the same as income tax on a single parent low income family.
The canard that we are all the same tax payer is bs that only serves to dumb down the issues for the benefit of those that want to shurk their share of responsibility to society.
shurk should read shirk … good points Eagle
Seems people like to blame all the problems on the shortage of tax dollars and the down loading of costs to Municipalities.
Fact of the matter is, we have oodles of money, the problem lies with how the various levels of Government spend the available dollars.
If we were to cut all budgets Federal, Provincial, Municipal by 5% and hold increases to salaries and benefits for five years, we would be rolling in money. Whats the chance of that happening????
Municipalities receive grant money from the Provincial Government in lieu of taxes. Perhaps its time to give them an increase on the infrastructure they pay taxes on. Perhaps something in the area of $52,000.00 would be sufficient.
The problem with Municipalities paying the DNA costs is unfair because the crime may have been committed in our community, however the person or persons committing the crime may very well be from somewhere else in the Province or Country. That’s why it makes more sense for the cost to be covered by the Federal Government on a national level, or at the very least the Province should pay its portion which would spread the cost over the entire Province. Downloading to the Municipalities is dirty pool.
The top five energy traders at Powerex (BC Hydro subsidiary) get paid in excess of $500,000.00 per year. If we reduced their salaries by 10,000.00 per year we would have the money toot sweet. Whats the chance of that happening.
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