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Live from the meeting. Available on the YouTube page to confirm.

Part 2 official wording and vote count

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Part 1 official wording and vote count

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HRM Council approves HRM and RCMP budgets

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Vote was split into 2 parts: Part 1 - Send budget back to BoPC - failed Part 2 - Reject body cams & car cams - failed

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Austin supports Cleary's motion. Council will need to find the stomach to make cuts if they want to avoid tax increase.

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Purdy wants to cut the tax rate but not with the police budget. She suggests funding cuts to bike lanes instead. (I don't think those budget items are comparable)

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Hinch: Is Diversity and Inclusion training mandatory? It is for cadets, but not existing officers.

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HRM solicitor Traves: The Police By-law only allows Council to either accept or reject the budget. If it is rejected, it is returned to the BoPC. Council cannot make changes or amendments to the budget.

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Kent: A lot of the vetting for the police budget has already been done by capable people on the BoPC. I support this budget. It is a big budget. Policing will always be a big budget.

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Hinch asked Chief about Domestic Violence (DV) calls that result in no charges. MacLean: We are pro-charge. If there is evidence, we must lay a charge. But there isn't always evidence. We know DV is an epidemic on the rise, despite low reporting numbers.

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pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com

HRM Council are back at it with budget debates today, including police budget pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...

Budget Committee - February 19, 2025

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Reposted by Kym she/her

Halifax ReTales @halifaxretales.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Premier getting a raise that is more than someone’s annual salary who is making minimum wage

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Matt Stickland @landofsticks.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Budget debates continue again today, will Fillmore be back from his Carribean vacation? The mayors tan and public safety budget in my latest for @thecoast.ca

thecoast.ca

Halifax mayor vacations in the Caribbean as council debates homelessness

In Fillmore’s absence, Halifax continues defunding the police.

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Reposted by Kym she/her

Nick P @npilon.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

If you’re writing your MLA about Houston’s Auditor General bullshit, this is the bill to reference. I recommend focusing on one aspect, and concisely explaining why you find it especially offensive. Keep your goal in mind while writing!

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Christine Saulnier (she/her) @csaulnier.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Also no more fixed election date, which in his own words was important because: « Having a fixed date will mean predictability, transparency and it will limit any perceived advantage by the government to control the timing of the next election. » news.novascotia.ca/en/2021/10/1...

news.novascotia.ca

Province Moves to Establish Fixed-Date General Elections | Government of Nova Scotia News Releases

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Tim Bousquet @timbousquet.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

The legislature now has the power to keep auditor general reports private, and to fire the auditor general at will. Non-unionized government employee are now also at will and can be fired without cause.

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Matt Stickland @landofsticks.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

The mayor sits on two committees. Budget and executive. Gonna need to re-read some regs because I'm pretty sure members can be removed from the committee for missing three meetings, and I think Fillmore has missed 3.

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Did you know 50% of HRM's firefighting force are volunteers? I didn't! Council offsets firefighting personnel budget with reliance on these volunteers. Wondering how much of the police force is volunteer to offset their budget?

Austin: Speaking passionately about the death of the man in Dartmouth, which may have been prevented with proper supports. Would rather make cuts anywhere else, including police budget, need to prioritize funding in this area.

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Suzanne Rent @suzannerent.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Max Chauvin says the proposed $1.6M drop-in center will provide daytime shelter for the unhoused, access to medical care, laundry, showers, secure storage for belongings, conflict resolution and access to other wraparound supports.

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Reposted by Kym she/her

#Halifax's CAO approved the purchase of two armoured F350s for Halifax Regional Police. Why can't the CAO just say, "let's ditch X for good"? It costs more to stay on the platform. www.halifaxexaminer.ca/government/c...

halifaxexaminer.ca

CAO approved two armoured vehicles for Halifax police; council to vote on a third vehicle - Halifax Examiner

2025-26 capital budget includes two armoured F350s.

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pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com

#Halifax budget meeting continues today discussing community safety, fire and emergency, and police budgets. pub-halifax.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...

Budget Committee - Continuation - February 14, 2025

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Andrew Burke @ajlburke.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Sidewalks are skating rinks this morning in Halifax. I saw a little old lady out there with a cane and I wanted to airlift her back home. Roads are, of course, perfectly clear. Because to the people running things we're not so much a society or city as just a bunch of places to drive and park

Sheet ice on the sidewalk at sunrise on Halifax Common

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Done for the day, will continue on Friday.

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Purdy: Asks CFO how approving this would affect the tax rate. Tyler from finance: Would trigger the rounding from 7.6 to 7.7% increase. Purdy: Everything is a good idea and adds value but I have to think of my residents and I can't support it at this time.

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Cuttell: Moves that budget committee include increase of 463K to implement the community crisis diversion pilot project.

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Purdy: What would be the impact if we freeze your proposed new hires (excepting cross walk guards)? Response not provided discussion got sidelined with building coast increase, will circle back.

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Mancini follow up: They are struggling now, so when will they get more funding? Response: Hopefully soon. Want to develop a multi-year plan.

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Mancini: Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) mandate has expanded vastly and is funded by grants. Said 200K but now saying $400K? Clarify what their budget is? Resp: Analyzing what their funding needs are. 400K is a dart board.

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Steele: What is the Provincial commitment for the drop in center? Max Chauvin: Province committed $750,000 which we have to match.

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Austin wants to clarify the budget ask for the drop-in center and the after hours support for homeless persons. These 2 items have been on our wish list for a long time. If funded, will they actually happen this year? Response: Probably

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Kent motions to direct the CAO to incorporate the Community Safety proposed 2025/26 Budget and Business Plan into the Draft 2025/26 Operating Budget. She applauds the "dream team" assembled here today and thanks them for their service.

Superintendent Moser of the Halifax regional detachment of RCMP speaking to how their resource request will support public safety.

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HRP Chief of Police Don MacLean I don’t agree with everything that has been said, but I respect people’s right to say it and it is important to be critical of our government institutions, including police.

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Public participation now closed. Chair Cathy Deagle Gammon thanked all those who shared today.

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So ppl are trying to make convincing, evidence-based arguments while navigating harm from these systems in 5 minutes. Its hard. People care about this community and want to see adequate community supports. Asked council to engage with us as community members.

Frank Heimpel I love Halifax so much! I love this community. Naming there is a lot of emotion in the room which does not take away from the validity of people’s arguments. The energy some people are bringing to the room is because of how they have been treated by police and the BoPC.

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Collins Spoke to disproportionate representation of Black and Indigenous persons in homelessness and the criminalization of homelessness. Cited the recent death of an unhoused Black man in Dartmouth. Genocide is connected to the commodification of housing.

Markita Opposes budget increase. Police are overfunded and unchecked in their actions. Please listen to communities that are marginalized and not represented in HRP or Council. Tanks are a weapon of war. Should not be funded by municipality.

Crime statistics are alarming. In 2024, 567 offenses of theft under $5000. 10/7 members did not report crime because they felt there would not be any action.

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C. Steele asked about community navigators. Navigators meet with HRM navigators and M. Chauvin, help unhoused ppl access services, ID, work with public library. Big gaps in mental health and housing services available.

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Toni Mancini asked if she has advocated to the province for mental health supports. She has.

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