The drive to introduce an enhanced RCMP officer service into the region has been stalled in the negotiation process.
The RM of Coalfields and Browning have been working together for more than a year to create the position in order to provide better monitoring of the RMs' roads and to enforce bylaws within their municipal boundaries.
The program would cost the RMs about $120,000 per year, with each municipality paying half. What the municipalities would be getting is a constable employed specifically by the RMs to carry out the duties outlined by their respective councils. Both RMs are interested in the prospect of having an officer available to enforce bylaws.
The RMs were under the impression that revenue from fines would go back to the RMs. The Saskatchewan Police Commission is now telling the RMs the commission will be retaining the revenue from fines issued by the constable.
"Right now it's on a hold until we can figure out if the revenue will be coming to the RMs to be split, otherwise it's a big expense and no revenue," said Val Pelton, RM of Coalfields administrator.
"That's what we were promised in our one meeting, but in our September meeting that's not what they told us. They said that, in fact, it would be going back to the Sask. Police Commission and the Ministry of Justice."
"We could never get a straight answer on the percentage of fine revenue that would come back to the municipalities if this program went through," said Greg Wallin, RM of Browning administrator. "When it came down to the 11th hour - when it was time to sign the agreement - was the first time that we got the 100 per cent answer, that no, the fine revenue does not come back to us."
Wallin noted they are working with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association to try to create some sort of shared revenue plan.
The RMs have communicated with the Ministry of Justice, suggesting they would be open to sharing the revenue as long as the RMs received a cut.
"But there better be more than five per cent retained in the RMs," added Pelton.
The groups haven't met since September, and Pelton said they may not sit again until early next year, as they are unsure of how often representatives from the organizations out of Regina and Saskatoon would be coming to the area.
"It was a big surprise," said Wallin about learning they wouldn't receive any money from fines.
He added that though they would like to receive some of the revenue that their prospective constable brings in, the most important thing for the RM of Browning is to have the RCMP officer in place for public safety reasons.
"It's not a big amount of dollars either way. I think that having the police itself to save traffic accidents is more beneficial than what the revenue would be," said Wallin.
He added the RMs would have been happy with the revenue split urban centres receive at 75 per cent to 25 per cent.
The RM of Browning has been having discussions about hiring an RCMP officer for a number of years now, and they are very interested in moving this process along quickly as long as its right for the RM's ratepayers.
"We're still hoping that we can commence this year. (The position) will probably never be filled this year, but we'd commence looking for somebody," said Wallin. "If they ever change the way they're paying the fine revenue, I think it will go ahead."
