Calgary city budget debate: council ponders utilities, environmental protection spending

Calgary city council debated its four-year budget plan for the second day on Tuesday. 

• Budget debate begins as Calgarians face 4 years of tax hikes

The draft plan calls for annual property tax hikes of 4.7 per cent, as well as several utility rate hikes.

Council started the day by discussing the proposed budget for the utilities and environmental protection department. 

A proposal to spend about $800,000 on an emergency communications system for the city's works yards in Manchester also came up for debate. 

Coun. Sean Chu called it an unnecessary expense, but when it came to a vote the expenditure passed 12 to three. Only Mayor Naheed Nenshi and councillors Chu and Joe Magliocca opposed. 

Council has set aside two weeks to debate the budget. 

• CBC city hall reporter Scott Dippel was in council chambers tweeting the budget developments. Follow along in the box below: