Rising OPP costs will force tax hike

Province warns Trent Hills it will face 11 per cent jump in police bill

The rising cost of Ontario Provincial Police services will send your property taxes higher again next year, Trent Hills councillors said on Tuesday.

A letter from Solicitor-General Michael Kerzner told the municipality that its annual bill for OPP services will increase by up to 11 per cent in 2027, the same hike it faced this year. In 2025, the increase was 17 per cent, but the province covered most of the hike.

The municipality spends about $3 million on policing, so the annual jump will add about $330,000 to its expenses, Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf said. “This represents an increase of 2.5 per cent, before we even start setting our budget.”

Kerzner said in his Aug. 14 letter that the province wanted to give municipalities a heads up on what they will have to pay. Last year, Trent Hills and others were forced to delay their budgets while awaiting their OPP bills that didn’t arrive until December.

“We also recognize the importance of ensuring policing costs are sustainable and predictable for municipalities, and we will continue working with our municipal partners on these shared priorities,” Kerzner said in his letter.

That wasn’t how the relationship is perceived by the councillors. They objected that the province negotiates salaries with the OPP, then just tells the municipalities how much they have to pay.

“Something has to change,” said Councillor Daniel Giddings. “The province sits at the table with them and then we get stuck with the bill, and we don’t get a say in this.”

Costs skyrocketed by 17 per cent in 2024 after the province reached a two-year contract that increased salaries. Provincewide complaints by the municipalities forced the province to offer assistance each of the past two years.

For 2026, Trent Hills took $93,000 from a police reserve fund to keep its overall tax hike at 4.1 per cent with $30.3 million in spending.

“Municipalities aren’t going to have the funds to continue to do this,” Metcalf said.

“We can’t afford to keep on doing this,” agreed Councillor Dennis Savery. He suggested the municipality reach out to other municipalities so they could protest together.

I have contacted the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for comment, but haven’t received a response yet. Will file an update, if I hear something.

A year ago, following the announcement of the cap for 2026, the association said: “Unfortunately, these changes do not provide a long-term solution to the growing policing cost pressures municipalities across Ontario are facing.”

“Here we go again,” said Councillor Rick English. “Right out of the gate we face an almost 3 per cent increase. It’s very frustrating.”

Councillor Rob Pope, who represents council on the county-wide police board, said municipal forces are also facing huge cost increases, since they need to keep pace with OPP salaries.

“We have looked at joining with other local detachments, but the cost has been prohibitive,” Pope said. “Policing is very expensive; it’s always a question of who pays for it.”

Giddings predicted that at some point the province will no longer cap the increases and municipalities will be stuck paying the full cost.

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