Sudbury police board reduces budget hike to 10.2% after emergency meeting

The Greater Sudbury Police Service will present a new budget with a reduced 10.2% increase after cutting a $1.65 million contribution toward a new building.

An emergency meeting called by the chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board on Friday ended with the service shaving about two per cent from its budget forecast for the coming year.

The police board had already approved its 2026-2027 budget and was prepared to present those figures to the city’s finance committee next week.

But after learning the city’s proposed tax hike sat around 5.7 per cent, board chair Gerry Lougheed Jr. asked the board to meet to look at options.

“We want to be good stewards of taxpayers’ money while at the same time making sure we have effective and adequate policing in Sudbury,” said Lougheed.

“There is a concern -- and a very valid concern. I’m a taxpayer. We’re all taxpayers. And is there any way that we can reduce the amounts so that the levy (can) be reduced, as well.”

During Friday’s meeting, the board was provided with two options. Option 1 would draw $1.7 million from the capital financing reserve fund for the 2026 budget and another $1.75 million in 2027.

Option 2 would reduce the contribution to reserve funds by $1,699,500 in 2026 and $1,750,485 in 2027 for a new police building.

They chose Option 2.

“We knew that we were not building a building in the coming year of 2026 or even 2027,” said Chief Sara Cunningham.

“We are not stepping away from the need of a new facility. It is still something that we absolutely need. Instead of us debt financing it we might be turning to our city partners and the city in looking for them to assist us.”

“I think it’s fair to say that in 2026, we’re not going to build a facility. So, removing that $1.65 million is something that we’re quite prepared to do,” Lougheed said.

Increase now 10.2 per cent

“Then 2027 onwards, when we actually do have a plan maybe for a facility — which by the way we don’t — then we can go back to investing in that fund.”

The last-minute change shaves the increase over last year from 12.6 per cent to 10.2 per cent. It puts the police budget for 2026 at just more than $92 million.

Lougheed said the smaller budget won’t impact front-line policing, including the downtown safety initiative.

“There’s a heightened expectation, especially with the homeless program and plan,” he said.

“We want to see more presence of police officers. And therefore, to have more police officers, we need more resources for them, not bricks and mortar.”

Lougheed and Cunningham will present the police budget to the finance committee Nov. 12. City council will begin budget deliberations the first week of December.