Tensions flare at meeting over councillor's comments about Hamilton police budget

Tensions between the chair of Hamilton Police Service's board and a councillor flared Thursday at a meeting over comments the councillor made about the police service's proposed budget.

For months, Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who is a member of the board and vice chair of its budget committee, has spoken out about how he feels the board doesn't scrutinize the police service's budget enough.

His list of criticisms includes:

• The committee was supposed to meet four times this year but only met twice.
• Committee members received the line-by-line budget less than 24 hours before the first meeting.
• The committee's review process looked at a summary presentation via slideshow, not the budget itself.

This year, the police pitched a $213 million budget, a $20 million increase from last year's budget. The police service is the city's largest budget item.

Pat Mandy, chair of the police board, and Frank Bergen, the city's police chief, presented the budget to the city's general issues committee on Monday.

During the meeting, Kroetsch, once again voiced his concerns.

"The board in no way reviewed the budget in detail," he said.

Chair tries to stop councillor from responding to her

At Thursday's police board meeting, Mandy addressed some of Kroetsch's comments, saying they "weren't fact."

She said board members received "ample time" to review the proposed budget and felt the four budget committee meetings weren't all required to take place before the budget vote. "So I'm not quite sure why that's a concern," she said.

When Kroetsch tried to respond to her comments, Mandy said he could only respond to her comments when the board went into a private session, also known as in-camera.

Mayor Andrea Horwath, who sits on the board, said Kroetsch should be able to respond publicly.

Dr. Anjali Menezes, a member of the board and budget committee, also challenged Mandy.

"Is it just that the chair can voice their own, individual, personal opinions and, quite frankly, slander certain board members in this particular part of the meeting so that those board members are not allowed to respond? Or was this part of a complaint because there's a complaint process," Menezes said.

Mandy said she didn't want "personal back and forth bashing" and her intent was to clarify information that was already public "and keeps being reaffirmed as fact."

Board administrator Kirsten Stevenson weighed in, saying it was "fair" for Kroetsch to respond but if it turns into a debate, it should go in-camera.

Kroetsch replied.

"Nothing I've said is untrue. If you wish to suggest what I'm saying is untrue, I ask you to provide the receipts because I've got them," he said.

On Friday, at a general issues committee at city council, Kroetsch moved a notice of motion to have councillors send the proposed police budget back to the police board and have it present a new one by Feb. 15.

Councillors will vote on that motion Tuesday.