Quebec pays$ 23 Million to cities to help pay for the SQ

Photo Simon Clark
The minister of public Safety, Martin Coiteux

Pascal Dugas Drone

Wednesday, 20 December 2017 18:34

UPDATE
Wednesday, 20 December 2017 18:41

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The government Couillard will pay $ 22.8 million to the municipalities served by the Sûreté du Québec to help pay the salaries of their police officers.

Cities have seen their bill to cover police spending of $ 305 million to $ 337 million annually because of the signature, by the officers of the SQ, a new collective agreement, on June 24.

However, the minister of public Safety, Martin Coiteux, has agreed to help cities to absorb this cost increase, so that it is 3 % rather than 10.5 %.

If this announcement comes six months after the signing of the new contract of work, it is because “we wanted to find a solution to what could be a financial shock to our municipal partners,” said the minister Coiteux.

“We are talking about approximately $ 30 million, and we are going to assume 22.8 million. It does not happen on the corner of a table. There was work to be done, ” he added.

“A beautiful gift “

The president of the quebec Federation of municipalities, Richard Lehoux, has welcomed very positively the announcement by the minister, which will allow municipalities to breathe, he says.

“I am certain that a lot of mayors and prefects are going to let go of a sigh of relief on the eve of Christmas. This is a pleasant surprise, a beautiful gift, ” he said.

For his part, the chairman of the public safety Commission of the Union des municipalités du Québec and mayor of Shawinigan, Michel Angers, sees this funding as a ” proof and a mark of respect on the part of the minister “.

“I consider, certainly not today’s announcement as a gift,” he said.