Saskatoon councillors reject police budget proposal

Saskatoon city police are headed back to the budget drawing board.City councillors unanimously rejected the service's request for more money.

Police were asking for an extra $4.5 million. Most of the increase would have been used to hire eight new patrol officers. But council said it was too much money.

Chief Clive Weighill says he'll have to take another look at the numbers. "We can look at some other things besides people and staff too," Weighill said.

"So we're going to have to go back with the board and really look at some innovative ways to bring the dollar value down."

The board of police commissioners will have to come up with a revised budget. And the matter will go back to council next month.

Weighillsays the police service can get by without more money but not for long.

"As I said to city council, in this year, we might go for a year or so with not much growth," he said. "My concern is aggregate, if we don't start to get growth the way the city is growing."

The City of Saskatoon is trying to find ways to save money. Administrators are calling for a 7.32 per cent property tax increase. But that isn't sitting well with some city councillors. They're wanting a smaller increase, around 5 per cent or less.

Budget deliberations continue tomorrow.

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