WINNIPEG -- If some proposed budget cuts are approved, it could mean condo owners might have to start forking out more money to get their garbage and recycling picked up.

In November, the city's water and waste department proposed to discontinue garbage bin collection for multi-family, charity and commercial customers.

If the recommendation passed, 1,600 condo and apartment locations in the city would be affected and those owners would be responsible for hiring their own private contractors.

"We could be potentially paying an extra $200 a year," said Lisa Cefali, who owns two condos in Winnipeg.

Cefali said she was shocked to hear of this recommendation and is urging councillors to vote against the proposal.

"As taxpayers, we are already paying for recycling and garbage collection. As condo owners, we are paying for other essential services that taxpayers who own homes get free of charge."

Cefali considers garbage pickup to be an essential service and she feels it is unfair to take that away from some people in the city, but not others based on where they live.

She also feels if this is approved it could start a slippery slope to cutting other essential services for condo owners.

Maureen Hancharyk, president of the Canadian Condominium Institute, Manitoba Chapter, echoes similar sentiments as Cefali.

"The city does not do our snow clearing, the city does not do our fire hydrant inspections and we also pay for our own street lighting," said Hancharyk.

"Yes, people know what they are doing when they buy condos and that there is condominium fees. But why we are being singled out to not have garbage collection, just so that property tax increases can be kept at 2.3 per cent, as per Brian Bowman's election promise, it's just a ridiculous proposal."

Urging councillors to vote against the proposal

Cefali raised her concerns with all city councillors and the mayor by emailing them what she thinks of the proposal and asking them to vote against it.

She shared the emails with CTV News, and as of Thursday evening Kevin Klein, Matt Allard, and Markus Chambers responded to her.

Chambers and Klein have both said they are voting against the proposal, while the email from Allard said he "will take into consideration yours and others thoughts on multi-family building garbage collection."

The budget will be presented on March 6 and will then be debated and voted on by council afterward.