The City of Nanaimo is receiving more than $620,000 from the province to help pay for policing services.
The money comes from the province’s annual Strategic Community Investment Fund, which includes the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program and small community and regional district grants.
The fund is intended to provide local governments with greater financial stability during economically uncertain times.
Brian Clemens, the city’s director of finance, said the city does not qualify for the small community or regional district grants, so the $620,583 it is receiving this year is from the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program, which returns revenue from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violation tickets to municipalities that pay police enforcement costs.
Policing services cost the city about $20.5 million and the grant will go toward that bill, he said.
“We’re certainly grateful to have the money, but it’s only a portion of the costs,” said Clemens.
