NORTH COWICHAN – At their June 3 regular Council meeting, Council directed staff to initiate the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to obtain elector assent to borrow the funds required to construct a new RCMP facility. During the AAP, if 10 per cent of all North Cowichan residents or property owners oppose the proposal to borrow the cost of the new facility, Council must reconsider how to move forward.
To oppose the AAP, an eligible elector must sign and submit an Elector Response Form to North Cowichan’s Corporate Officer during the 30-day response period between Friday, June 12, 2020 and Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Information brochures, which include an Elector Response Form, will be mailed out in the coming weeks and are currently available for download on our website. Visit www.northcowichan.ca/RCMP to download an Elector Response Form, learn more about the proposed new RCMP facility, the AAP, and who qualifies as an eligible elector.
Although North Cowichan would borrow the full $48 million to construct the facility, the RCMP would be responsible for paying back 60 per cent of this amount. The remaining 40 per cent (approximately $19.2 million) will be paid for by North Cowichan. This will require roughly a 4 per cent tax increase, phased in between 2021 – 2024 and will cost the average taxpayer $71 per year for the balance of the loan. Providing a suitable facility is part of the municipality’s contract with the RCMP. The current building was built in 1980 to accommodate a workforce of 30. Today, it is home to a workforce of 85, including 62 RCMP members and 23 support staff.
“The existing RCMP building is in poor condition, with ongoing issues such as rodents, leaking, flooding, and lack of adequate space for staff. Not only that, but many of the services that will be brought under one roof in the new facility are currently spread out across different communities and buildings which makes it more difficult to access them. Bringing municipal, provincial, and indigenous police members together under one roof, along with Forensic Identification Services and South Island Traffic Services will allow for more efficient policing in our community,” said Mayor Al Siebring.
