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Council rejected a proposal to hire 45 more lifeguards across the city on Monday, in a move that would save $4 million per year and ease the property tax burden on Calgary businesses.

Council voted 11-2 on the notice of motion put forth by Coun. Evan Woolley. It required 10 votes to pass.

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“We have finite money and must make choices on where these resources go,” said Woolley.

“Pools have been operating extremely safely for many decades. I am not, council, coming to ask for you to cut lifeguards. What I’m asking to do is hold the line and continue to operate one of the safest pool systems in the country.”

Woolley said the proposed hiring increase was based on a yet-to-be-approved recommendation by Royal Life Saving Society Canada that the city have one lifeguard for every 40 pool users.

He added that Calgary’s busier pools operate at a ratio of 50 swimmers for every lifeguard and that some pools even operate without a lifeguard on duty, which is allowed under city bylaws.