Council asks police to cut $2M more

Council asked the Calgary Police Service to scour its ledgers for another $2 million in cost-cutting as efforts continued Tuesday to trim the city's 2011 municipal budget deficit.

The department already identified about $2 million that can be saved through administrative efficiencies.

But a plan to double those savings using revenue generated by speed-on-green intersection camera fines hit a roadblock Tuesday. Both the police commission and council members decided relying on the fines was politically unwise.

Council then voted to ask the commission to come up with the additional $2 million another way.

Alderman John Mar — who is also on the police commission — opposed the motion, saying it will be too hard to find any more back-of-house savings.

In July council voted to pre-approve the 2011 police budget, shielding front-line operations from any cuts in the current negotiations.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said on Tuesday that decision was a mistake. The police should share in the budget cutting burden like any other city department, he said.

'I certainly hope that the Calgary Police Commission doesn't see this as an attack on them.' —Mayor Naheed Nenshi

"I certainly hope that the Calgary Police Commission doesn't see this as an attack on them.  What it is, is that we're asking every city department to be thoughtful in its budget, to come to us with real ways of doing things better," Nenshi said.

Council gave the police commission two months to find the extra money.

Calgary is heading into 2011 with a projected deficit of $47.4 million.

On Monday Nenshi tabled a plan he said will cover that shortfall while keeping next year's property tax rate increase to 4.5 per cent — bettering the administration's target of 6.7 per cent.