Okotoks could get hit with a big bill for retroactive raises for the RCMP.

Mayor Tanya Thorn says, like other municipalities, they're being asked to pony up a lot of money they didn't ask for.

"Again, one of those things, we weren't really at the table negotiating that contract, and I'm all for the increases that the RCMP got, they were one of the most underpaid forces in policing out there so absolutely they needed to see an increase, but the feds dragged their heels in getting it done and the information they put out to municipalities particularly was that it would be about a 2-1/2 per cent increase, that allowed us to kind of budget for that."

However, the increase came, depending on the community at anywhere from 8 and 12 per cent.

Thorn says the retroactive portion of the payout could cost the town in the neighbourhood of $750,000.

The mayor agrees with the Federation of Canadian Municipality's position that the federal government should absorb the extra cost.