The police budget was the topic of discussion around the horseshoe as Smiths Falls council passed the 2025 town budget with a 5% tax rate increase.
The 19% increase in the Smiths Falls Police Services budget did not sit right with Councillor and SFPS Board member Chris McGuire.
McGuire would’ve liked to see council seek a third party opinion on the SFPS budget through conciliation, and further dives into all budget lines that seem “untouchable” each year. He noted he’s not generally unhappy with the town budget as a whole for this year, but voted against it for that reason.
Mayor and Chair of the SFPS Board Shawn Pankow shared his thoughts.
Police Chief Jodi Empey originally proposed a 21% budget increase in November.
Story by Grant Deme