After over two hours of deliberation, Victoria City council referred further discussion into the Victoria Police Department’s budget for two weeks.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Thursday, Chief. Const Del Manak presented budgeting options at council’s request in a 50-page document.
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The different options came forward after council asked the VicPD to present two different budgets: the first accounting for if the city absorbs the Employer Health Tax (EHT), totalling $690,000, while the second includes that cost as part of the police budget.
Cost reduction strategies were outlined, including less funding towards DNA analysis (due to lower use requirements), cancelling the CCTV maintenance contract, and renegotiating land line and mobility contracts.
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If the EHT is assigned to the police department, up to nine civilian positions would have to be dissolved.
After two hours of discussion, Coun. Ben Isitt put forward a two-page motion for discussion.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the motion was referred to next week’s Committee of the Whole meeting on March 28.
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