Coaldale mayor says town overcharged for RCMP services
COALDALE, AB – Officials at the Town of Coaldale are trying to change a designation that makes them pay an additional $500,000 every year for policing services.
Mayor Jack Van Rijn says the town is currently subject to the “New Entrant Guidelines” (NEG) for RCMP, which he feels should not be applied to Coaldale.
He explains the NEG requires that the municipality pay for 100% of the cost for RCMP. Other communities with a population between 5,000 and 14,999 only have to cover 70% of the bill, while the federal government picks up the other 30%.
Van Rijn adds that Coaldale is the only community in Canada in that population group that pays the full RCMP cost.