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Jim Watson’s firm grip on Ottawa city council appeared to slip Wednesday after five councillors voted against the 2016 budget.

The mayor has presided over unanimous budget votes ever since he was elected in 2010, but this time around he failed to convince all 23 members of council that a two-per-cent tax increase was enough to continue providing the level of service residents have come to expect.

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Meanwhile, efforts by some councillors to freeze transit fares or secure additional money for struggling community agencies fell on largely deaf ears.

“This is your budget, Mr. Mayor, it’s not mine,” Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans pointedly told Watson.

Rick Chiarelli, Jeff Leiper, Catherine McKenney and Tobi Nussbaum all joined the veteran councillor in opposing the $3.2-billion spending plan.

“I had a good run, but I knew this budget was going to be the toughest one,” Watson told reporters after the meeting, reiterating his commitment to what he calls “reasonable” tax increases.