Chatham-Kent councillors cut the proposed property tax hike to 3.96 per cent after discussing asset management and reserves as budget deliberations began Tuesday.

Coming into the evening with a 4.92 per cent hike, that was trimmed to the current mark of 3.96 per cent, with deliberations continuing Wednesday.

South Kent Coun. Anthony Ceccacci’s call for a $2-million reduction in the asset management plan lifecycle inflationary amount won support. Some councillors supported the idea, but not the sum, so his motion was split in two – seeking $1.5-million and $500,000 cuts – with both passing in separate votes.

“I don’t making this motion lightly. I recognize the challenges that it (makes),” Ceccacci said, noting he respects staff’s work, but saw no other opportunities for significant savin

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