The Moose Jaw Police Service is projecting that it should finish the year on budget even though some expense categories are “running fairly hot” due to inflation.
The police service (MJPS) presented information about its operating budget during the Board of Police Commissioners’ Sept. 28 meeting, with the report looking at revenues and expenses from Jan. 1 to July 31.
The numbers for actual, budget, and variance show:
- Revenues: $765,783 / $1,878,507 / $1,112,724
- Expenses: $8,893,640 / $13,388,055 / $4,494,415
- Net overall: $8,127,857 / $11,509,548 / $3,381,691
Some revenue categories with notable variances between the actual and budget include:
- Traffic safety reserve contribution: $332,108 / $330,000 / -$2,108
- Policing services: $82,729 / $290,000 / $207,271
- Provincial funding: $3,167 / $800,000 / $796,833
Some expense categories with notable variances between the actual and budget include:
- Labour: $5,614,223 / $9,165,735 / $3,551,512
- Subscriptions and publications: $10,217 / $2,500 / -$7,717
- Computer software: $85,277 / $78,000 / -$7,277
- Insurance: $32,372 / $30,000 / -$2,372
- Maintenance: $90,251 / $311,000 / $220,749
- Supplies: $150,763 / $81,000 / -$69,763
- Miscellaneous: $160,496 / $155,000 / -$5,496
- Employee benefits: $9,187 / $8,160 / -$1,027
Police Chief Rick Bourassa explained that most items are “front-end loaded” and expenses come early in the year, while some categories are “back-end loaded” and expenses come near the end of the year. Conversely, the MJPS may not see some revenues until early next year.
“So, we’ve got … over $1 million outstanding in revenues coming in,” he stated.
Labour expenses are “running fairly hot” this year since backpay is included here, the chief continued.
The latter category is under labour because city hall — contracted to handle finances — changed to a different software program this year. Thus, when the police service budgets for one category, money comes out of another area.
“This will correct itself as we work with this more and put a budget together for next year that reflects the current programming,” Bourassa said.
Supplies is significantly over budget because vehicle fuel costs are coming from there instead of from maintenance, which itself is “running very cold” this year, he continued. Again, this should correct itself in 2024.
Inflation increased expenses this year, prompting the agency to reduce training and other activities so it could finish the year on budget, Bourassa said. The budget should be “very close” to target, but if it goes over, the organization will inform the board and ask city council for more money.
Lisa Renwick, MJPS finance officer, said city hall will not reallocate parts of the budget to their proper areas since they are already locked into the system. Therefore, the agency must re-direct money back to their proper categories.
The city’s new financial system contains sub-categories within main categories, so for example, supplies has expenses for office and fuel, she continued. However, city hall considers everything “supplies” when creating the police’s monthly operating budget document and lumps sub-categories into one.
“It makes sense because they’re all under the same budget number … ,” Renwick said. “But it’s all just into the same fund, so there’s no way to split it, which I find is frustrating.”
She agreed that this approach makes it difficult for the police board to accurately review how much is spent. Yet, she couldn’t do anything since this was the system the city chose.
“So we get the global (view of the budget), but when we get down to the details, we’re educated guessing on where that’s coming from … ,” said Bourassa. “We’ve asked this question before (about setting up sub-accounts), but maybe now we’ll ask it again and be a little more assertive in our asking.”
Said Commissioner Kim Robinson, “I just find it strange that an accounting system of that size couldn’t handle some compartmentalization.”
The next police board meeting is Thursday, Oct. 19.
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