By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: March 4, 2018
District of Squamish will hire a new firefighter and a police officer to meet the growing needs of the municipality. The positions will be filled in May and July in order to spread the tax impact of the positions over two years.
Squamish taxpayers may see a tax increase of six per cent this year, but that number hasn’t been finalised; a clear picture on that number will emerge in the spring.
“With staggered start dates later in the year, we can smooth out the tax impact of these two new positions over two years – essentially adding the cost of one new position each year,” Mayor Heintzman
A firefighter will cost the district $84,514, of which $63,181 will come from taxation, with the remaining $21,333 coming from savings that will result from the overtime that is currently being incurred by the department to fill this important role, said communications Christina Moore..
The position came from the 2015 Fire Rescue Service Growth Plan recommendations, in order to ensure two full shifts of career fire fighters providing seven-day coverage.
A full second shift will enable the department to meet the demands of calls and training, and ensure the necessary time for firefighters to mentally and physically recharge, Moore said.
Previously, unavoidable overtime hours did not allow for this important recharge time to ensure that firefighters recover from the well-documented mental demands of the profession, she noted.
District plans to hire a dedicated domestic violence/sexual assault officer who would primarily support Intimate Partner Violence (Domestic Violence – IPV) and Sexual Assault Investigations (SAI).
These files are often high risk – and inherently complex. Therefore developing experience and expertise to ensure compliance and application by an experienced investigator is highly desirable, Moore added.
The budget for this position is $118,295, with $48,295 coming from taxation, as well as $70,000 funded by a budget that had been previously set aside for certain policing expenses.
The position will be added in July this year.
Based on current growth and needs, there is a compelling case for both positions and community feedback suggests the positions will be well-received, said Mayor Patricia Heintzman.
“With staggered start dates later in the year, we can smooth out the tax impact of these two new positions over two years – essentially adding the cost of one new position each year,” Heintzman said.