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Rookie councillor to head city's finance committee

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 11/3/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

St. James Coun. Scott Fielding is Winnipeg's new budget boss after Mayor Sam Katz shuffled his inner circle in time for the city to hammer out next year's spending plans.

On Wednesday, four out of six members of city council's executive policy committee will receive new jobs when council holds its annual organizational meeting, a largely ceremonial confirmation of committee responsibilities.

The most significant move is the replacement of St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel with rookie councillor Fielding in the role of finance committee chairman.

Swandel, a Liberal-affiliated centrist, recently finished devising a draft version of the 2010 capital budget, a spending blueprint for road repairs, new construction projects and major equipment purchases next year. EPC plans to table the document on Nov. 16.

Fielding, a Conservative who once led a commission to explore ways to eliminate Winnipeg's business tax, will be in charge of the city's purse strings in time to write the 2010 operating budget, a road map for spending on programs such as policing, firefighting, insect control and library services.

The timing is crucial because Katz wants to freeze Winnipeg's property taxes for the 13th straight year in 2010, which is an election year. The mayor is under tremendous pressure to increase property taxes, now that Winnipeg has one of the lowest municipal tax regimes in Canada and the province might be reluctant to help out at budget time if Winnipeg does not exhibit a willingness to shoulder some of the financial pain. Fielding, however, said he will do everything possible to achieve another tax freeze. "I think a property-tax freeze is something we need to take a look at that. I think it makes us more competitive as a city," he said. Swandel, meanwhile, was one of four EPC members who argued in favour of a property-tax increase this year but failed to sway the mayor. Swandel said he was not pushing for an increase in 2010, but conceded it will be difficult for Winnipeg to balance its operating budget without more revenue.

"Fundamentally, I wasn't going in the same direction as the rest of the group, both administratively and politically," he said, adding it was time to leave his finance job because he wasn't making enough progress in his efforts to convince city departments to free up cash from dormant or completed capital projects.

Swandel said he asked the mayor to place him charge of the downtown development committee, instead.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Shuffling the chairs

Council's new executive policy committee:

Scott Fielding (St. James-Brooklands): The rookie councillor become finance committee chairman just in time to hammer out the 2010 operating budget. Katz, who's pushing for another property-tax freeze next year, will benefit from an ideologically like-minded individual in this position.

Gord Steeves (St. Vital): Steeves leaves his longtime gig as protection chair to assume responsibility for property and development, which Fielding handled for the past year.

Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas): Gets a promotion of sorts. Now responsible for protection and community services.

Justin Swandel (St. Norbert): Gives up finance to chair the downtown development committee, which didn't do very much under previous chairs Franco Magnifico, Russ Wyatt or Mike Pagtakhan. Also remains deputy mayor.

Bill Clement (Charleswood-Tuxedo): Holds on to public works committee.

Mike O'Shaughnessy (Old Kildonan): Remains secretary of strategic infrastructure renewal.

Sam Katz (Mayor): Remains EPC chair and urban-aboriginal secretary. Also gives himself new title of intergovernmental affairs secretary.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 3, 2009 B2

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