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Tax hikes and police-worn body cameras up for debate at City Hall

The 2016 budget is being voted on at City Hall Tuesday. Global News / File

WINNIPEG — The 2016 city budget will be front and centre at a special council meeting today.

City councillors will vote on the proposed budget which includes a frontage levy and property tax increase that combined would cost the average homeowner an extra $93 per year.

There are also a number of new development fees, some in the thousands of dollars, that have drawn sharp criticism from the construction and building sector that are included in the current form of the budget.

As well, nearly 27 per cent of the proposed budget is allocated to the Winnipeg Police Service.

Despite the $280.7 million guaranteed for the police service, chief Devon Clunis has said if another $2.45 million isn’t added to that number, the service will consider dozens of layoffs.

Police board chair Scott Gillingham has said he will present a motion to scrap a police-worm body camera pilot project to prevent those layoffs from happening.

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More to come.

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