Police Commission and Police Discussed Budgets In Secret With Executive Committee
By Robert Thomas
It may have seemed like a bit of surprise when the proposed 2023 operating and capital budgets for the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners (MJBOPC) were sent back to the Commission for review but this past Wednesday afternoon was not the only time the budgets were discussed by Council.
In confidential documents obtained through a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request by MJ Independent show the MJBOPC as well as members of the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) met in-camera with Executive Committee on November 14th to discuss their 2023 budget requests.
The documents also show the reason for the meeting was to discuss the 2023 MJPS operating and capital budgets for the MJPS and it would be one of two meetings where the budgets would be presented to Council.
Chief Rick Bourassa publicly presents the 2023 Moose Jaw Board Of Police Commissioners budget at the November 22nd special meeting of Council - MJ Independent file photo
One would be in-camera (secret) discussion at the November 14th Executive Committee meeting.
The other would be a public presentation at a special November 22nd Council meeting dedicated to the City’s 2023 Operating and Capital budgets.
It is unknown if the same presentation was given to Executive Committee on November 14th.
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The documents show the official request to go in-camera with Executive Committee came in an October 26, 2022 letter from MJBOPC chair and Councillor Dawn Luhning. The letter clearly indicates MJBOPC and MJPS would “discuss the budgets with Executive Committee” in-camera on November 14th.
Copy of a letter, obtained through a Freedom of Information FOI request, asking for two meetings - one private and one public - about the Moose Jaw Police Service 2023 operating and capital budgets
The documents also show there is a difference between the public versus confidential minutes regarding the November 14, 2022 Executive Committee meeting.
The public minutes list all meeting attendees and do not show when they entered or left the meeting whereas the confidential minutes do not show who attended but list when the MJPS delegation left the in-camera meeting.
Excerpt of the confidential minutes from the November 14, 2022 Executive Committee meeting obtained through a Freedom Of Information request
The lack of any note in the public minutes about when attendees entered and left the meeting was asked about by MJ Independent at the November 28th post Council scrum. The seeming glitch in official documentation is known in slang terms as a “glitch in the Matrix.”
Although the minutes do not indicate how long the budgets were discussed in-camera a look at timeline show they were present for approximately 40 - 45 minutes.
Some in the community have expressed concern to MJ Independent it was “not fair” for Chief Bourassa to defend questions raised by Council about the budgets at the December 7th special Council meeting dealing with the 2023 City of Moose Jaw Budget.
Council would send the budgets back to the MJBOPC asking for revisions based upon potential savings from salaries from officers not yet members of the force but still funded and the possibility of using the proceeds of photo radar (automated speed enforcement) to fund the MJPS.
The documents obtained through the FOI do not include any of the discussion which occurred at the in-camera portion of the November 14th Executive Committee meeting.
The only indication of what was discussed comes in the reason for Executive Committee moving the presentation and subsequent discussion in-camera.
The reasons given for moving the matter in-camera are section 94(2] of The Cities Act as it contains information that is within one or more the exemptions in Part Ill of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in particular sections 17(1)(b](ii) and 18(1}(b) and (d).
Sections 17 and 18 of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act deal with economic and other interests - (17 1 b (ii) that has monetary value or is reasonably likely to have monetary value;) as well as third party information and (18 b (b) financial, commercial, scientific, technical or labour relations information that is supplied in confidence, implicitly or explicitly, to the local authority by a third party; and (d) a statement of a financial account relating to a third party with respect to the provision of routine services from a local authority) - as allowable exemptions to move in-camera.
The MJPS budget is the largest operational area of spending in the City of Moose Jaw operating budget accounting for approximately 22 percent of the City’s operating budget.