Nanaimo budget looks to raise taxes to hire more police, firefighters

Nanaimo budget looks to raise taxes to hire more police, firefighters

Nanaimo City Council has approved a provisional budget that would raise property taxes and user fees to fund major investments in public safety, including the hiring of more police officers, among other initiatives. The provisional budget passed three readings at a Nanaimo council meeting Monday and proposes the hiring of 20 new firefighters, 10 Community Safety Officers and 12 RCMP members. It also includes funding for affordable and supportive…