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An already tight budget, and now a 2020 tax hike that could be as high as four percent. Tough financial realities at city hall will force council to weigh its priorities and consider cutting services, London’s treasurer and budget chair say.

Driven by provincial downloading and huge budget bombs from some city agencies, a four per cent tax hike is nearly 50 per cent higher than the target set by city council, and would represent an extra $114 on the bill of an average London taxpayer (with a home assessed at $241,000).

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“Four per cent is not going to be a tax hike that people are going to tolerate. There is going to be a push to bring that down,” budget chair Josh Morgan said.

A special meeting has been called next Tuesday to address the budget crunch, made public Wednesday in a city staff report.

The cost of provincial downloading – including the impact on emergency services, such as police and ambulance service – is becoming apparent, Morgan said.