Thursday night's Medicine Hat Police Commission meeting. (CHAT News photo)

By Alex McCuaig

Police to trim budget as city $27 million budget gap looms large

Nov 19, 2020 | 9:58 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – With Mayor Ted Clugston’s warning residents to brace for the steepest cuts in Medicine Hat’s history earlier this week as the city tries to plug a $27 million hole in its budget, the largest single line item, the police service, isn’t escaping scrutiny.

Medicine Hat Police Commission chair Sandy Redden confirmed Thursday the city has asked for proposals that will trim MHPS’s $25 million budget.

“The service does need to look at doing some cuts,” said Redden. “We haven’t got all the particulars yet but we’ve done is ask the chief to look through his budget and make some recommendations to us.”

Redden says she expects MHPS Chief Andy McGrogan will be providing those recommendations soon as the commission awaits more concrete information from City Hall.

“We’re expected to do our part, just like every other department within the city and we’re ok with that,” she said, adding that there has already been some savings in this year’s budget including police training which didn’t take place this year due to the pandemic.

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