A proposal to increase staffing levels at fire stations across the Halifax Regional Municipality would cost more than $6.8 million per year within seven years.
The costing was released in a staff report ahead of Tuesday’s regional council meeting where councillors will debate Coun. Steve Craig’s motion to hire the additional firefighters to ensure trucks across the municipality are staffed with four firefighters.
READ MORE: Halifax councillors reject latest firefighter staffing motion
If councillors approve the motion 40 more volunteer firefighters would be recruited, 52 more career firefighters would be hired, and the honourarium for volunteer firefighters would go up by $2,500.
The report says it will take three years to train and hire the 52 firefighters. Twenty of those firefighters would be used to fully staff stations in Bedford, Eastern Passage, Cole Harbour, and Lakeside. The remaining 32 firefighters would staff two aerials, one on each side of the harbour.
In seven years the total cost on the tax bill for the average house will be $34.80, for the average commercial property it will be $233.31. However, if the motion is passed, taxpayers will start paying for the changes this year with a cost of $6.78 for the average home, and $45.45 for the average commercial property.
The latest proposal is roughly five times more expensive then Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Chief Doug Trussler’s proposal that councillors shot down two weeks ago.
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