City Budget To Be Debated Tonight And Voted On

Common Council will meet behind closed doors late this afternoon to discuss the city's 2012 budget before it's brought out into open session to be debated publicly and voted on.

A closed door meeting had been scheduled on Saturday but Common Councillor Bill Farren tells CHSJ News it was cancelled because city staff didn't have all the information on the alternate budget should the province reject proposed changes to the city's pension plan. 

If that happens, 9 million dollars in cuts will have to be made.

Farren admits discussion has been heated but he blames previous Councils for ignoring the city's growing financial problems.