Worried about policing costs; Osoyoos asks for recount

According to Statistics Canada’s latest census Osoyoos has grown 5 per cent since the 2011 census and now has 5,085 residents.

However, reaching a population of 5,000 has a cost for B.C. municipalities. At that point, they become responsible for 70 per cent of their policing costs instead of 30 per cent.

So the town is asking for a recount arguing the latest census number is overinflated.

“That’s quite an elaborate procedure because they don’t want people just saying ‘Well, we don’t like this we want a recount.’ They want you to prove that there are good reasons for a recount,” said Osoyoos mayor Sue McKortoff.

McKortoff said the population increase caught council off guard. She said neither the province nor the municipality expected Osoyoos to hit the 5,000 person mark.

“Forty-five per cent of the people who own property here do not live here full time so that sort of throws numbers off as well,” said McKortoff.

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If a recount goes ahead, the results could take over a year to be released. What will happen to Osoyoos’ policing costs in the interim is still unclear.

Those higher payments are to begin in April but the municipality is trying to strike a deal with the provincial government.

“We are asking if we can have a little bit of leniency on this. We would certainly much prefer to have this phased in. That’s not what the legislation says,” said McKortoff.

The mayor is reassuring residents that even if no contract is signed by April 1 policing will continue as usual.

– With files from Blaine Gaffney