Rival politicians say the $20 million cost cited by ABC appears way too low
bigger issue this yearAnd while no one wants to come out against adding resources for safety and mental health, Sim’s opponents blasted his new proposal as unrealistic and questioned his cost estimate.
Even health spending is the provincial government’s jurisdiction, Sim said: “We’re going through a mental health crisis right now, and we have to triage the situation. We do have to show some leadership in the short-term, as we work with our provincial and federal partners to come up with long-term solutions.”Article content
Asked how it would be possible to do this without raising taxes or cutting elsewhere, Sim said he believes the city’s budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars of spending on “non-core services” that could be reallocated. But Mayor Kennedy Stewart, who is running for re-election with another new party called Forward Together, said Sim’s cost estimate was “ridiculously lowballed.”Article content