A by-election to replace former Richmond city Coun. Kelly Greene was pegged at $716,000 by city staff, a cost one councillor called “way too high.”

Coun. Carol Day questioned the high cost of a by-election given it would probably have low voter turnout.

She suggested scaling back on the election, for example, having fewer polling stations and less communication and advertising.

“I think we should cut this budget by 50 per cent,” Day told the finance committee on Monday, adding that $360,000 should be “more than enough.”