Hamilton police's proposed budget is $1M more than initially reported. Here's why

If Hamiltonians are following police budget discussions this month, they might notice some of the numbers have changed. 

Last week, councillors debated a proposed $213 million police budget, noting it represented a roughly $19-million (or 10.24-per cent) increase compared to the 2023 budget. Now, the city and police have corrected the record, stating that the proposed police budget is in fact $214.8 million. And, they say, that represents a $16-million (or 8.41-per cent) increase over 2023.

So what changed and why does it matter?

"This is a more accurate reflection based on the total costs for policing in the City of Hamilton," Ward 2 councillor Cameron Kroetsch told CBC Hamilton.

2023 figure was missing around $5 million

To understand the mix up, it should be noted the police budget has two parts — an amount city council "can dither on," as Kroetsch said (the combined operating and capital budget), and an amount that the city is required to pay under Ontario's Police Services Act.

At the end of the day, it "doesn't change anything in terms of where the money is coming from or where it's going," Kroetsch said. 

However, it appears the latter amount from 2023 had been missing from recent budget discussions. 

In January, police Chief Frank Bergen presented Hamilton Police Service's (HPS) proposed 2024 budget to council. The presentation stated the proposed operating budget was $202,129,230 and the proposed capital budget was $4,791,775, totalling around $207 million. An additional $6,501,640 is needed to cover the imposed costs related to the police services act, for a grand total of $213.4 million.

An appendix to the presentation showed this year's total proposal was about $19 million, or 10.24 per cent more than last year's $193-million budget.

But it was missing the 2023 imposed costs — plus a cost of $1.4 million for portable police radios. In other words, the 2023 figure should have been $198 million.

Fred Bennink, vice chair of the board and chair of the budget committee, sent CBC Hamilton the corrected cost comparison between this year's proposal and last year's budget. Hamilton spent about $198 million in 2023, he said, meaning police are asking for about $16 million (or 8.41 per cent) more this year. 

The incorrect figures were central to the public discussion around the police budget in recent weeks, like when Kroetsch noted them in a successful motion to send the police service's proposed budget back for further review.

As for how or when the omission was made, police spokesperson Jackie Penman told CBC Hamilton HPS does not include the mandated budget amount on its books once the city has paid it. It's unclear if the city would have known that.

Penman said the police's finance department noticed the discrepancy recently and informed their leadership of it.

Mike Zegarac, Hamilton's general manager of finance and corporate services confirmed that Bergen brought this to the attention of city leaders on Feb. 1.

On Sunday night, Kroetsch posted about it on X, formerly Twitter. He told CBC Hamilton he learned in an email from the city to councillors, and in another from Bergen to the police board.

In addition to the police services act amount, Zegarac said Hamilton's records are now also reflecting that it paid $1.4 million for portable police radios last year and will continue to do so in 2024. Its unclear how that omission was made.

That brings the 2024 "police services-related" budget costs to $214,822,645. 

Bennink said that while it's good to have more accurate figures, he's not sure that this will change the public discussion. As far as he's concerned, "people want a secure community and public safety," he said. 

Bennink added he expects to hear as much in the board's recent call for public feedback on the budget ahead of a Feb. 13 meeting.

Kroetsch has said he hopes this clarification around the budget helps further the public's understanding of policing, adding that council and police could change how they present their books. 

"The rigour I asked for around this budget process is all about making sure that we look at these numbers, reflect them accurately and make sure the public understands."