Heart FM Local News
The Town of Tillsonburg is looking for creative ways to minimize the damage from rising policing costs.
In September, Mayor John Lessif told Heart FM the Mayor's Coalition made a big breakthrough with policing costs that would see decreases coming in January of 2014.
Wednesday morning, Lessif told County Council those decreases have been pushed back to 2015.
With Tillsonburg residents facing a 2% increase in their tax bill for policing alone this year, Lessif made a special motion to council. He wants the County's net Provincial Offences Act revenues, derived from fines and court costs, to be redirected to the lower tier municipalities to help cover their OPP wage increases.
Lessif tells Heart FM, "For our residents to be faced with a 2% tax increase just to cover the cost of increased labour costs for OPP policing, it's very concerning. We have many demands in our community like any community and to spend 29-30% of our tax dollars to pay for policing is quite concerning. We don't have the money to do that."
Warden Don McKay pointed out that for every dollar given back to lower tier municipalities, tax payers would have to make that up to the County.
County staff will report back on implications of making such a move.

Tillsonburg Candidate Profile - Ron Gasparetto
Interview with the Acting Mayor - June 15th, 2026
Wienerfest Back in Burford Next Weekend
Two Championships, One Weekend
Five Children Killed in Mapleton Township Crash
Woodstock Candidate Profile - Dave Bloxsidge
Pride Family Day in Museum Square
Oxford County Seeking Input for Future
UPDATE: Oxford OPP Find Missing Teen
Oxford OPP Investigating Stolen PRIDE Flags
Woodstock Candidate Profile - Maureen Ralph
2026 World Cup of Soccer is Underway
Navy Vets Reveal First Round of Commits
Pickup Truck vs. Transport Truck Collision in SWOX
Interview with the Warden - June 11th, 2026
Online Harms Legislation Tabled in Ottawa
Royal Roads Family Fun Day Returns!
Two Vehicles Collide Southwest of Scotland
SWOX Firefighters Respond to Car Fire
Hospitals to Receive Training for Paediatric Emergencies