Welcome to even more taxing times in Winnipeg

I doubt anyone who read Saturday's column about constables who make more than $100,000, thanks to overtime, was surprised Mayor Sam Katz finally proposed a property-tax increase -- least of all his foe in last year's municipal election, Judy Wasylycia-Leis. After all, she always said the city would have to hike property taxes -- in fact, she pledged to do that -- which, undoubtedly, cost her votes, if not the election.

So on Wednesday, the day after the city's 2012 operating budget was laid out like a road-killed skunk, I called Wasylycia-Leis for her reaction. It was a timely call, in more ways than one, as she eventually pointed out.

"It was just a little over a year ago," Wasylycia-Leis began her monologue, "that we were in the middle of a campaign where I tried to have an honest conversation and an adult discussion about the city's needs, and how we deal with crumbling infrastructure and erosion of services."

Then, for those with short memories, she outlined her "honest" conversation.

"I made a pledge to the people of Winnipeg that property taxes would go up two per cent a year for four years, and that the money generated by that tax increase would directly be plowed back into the most serious problems facing the city.

"The mayor," she continued, "pretended everything was rosy and there was no need for taxes and then (Tuesday), suddenly, out of the blue, he's put through a 3.5 per cent increase in property taxes. And what's most disturbing is there's still no clear sense of what's coming down the pipe and how we are going to deal with a number of difficult issues at the city level."

Actually, we do know at least one thing coming down one costly pipe -- more water and sewer rate hikes to add to those higher property taxes, a proposed transit-fare increase and what Wasylycia-Leis described as last year's "property-tax increase disguised as a frontage-fee increase."

To me, it's not that there's anything wrong with raising property taxes -- that should have happened gradually over the years -- it's that, as Wasylycia-Leis was saying, the mayor wasn't as upfront about it as she was. That's what is still missing at City Hall: a sense those in control are being open and honest with citizens.

I asked Wasylycia-Leis if she thought her honesty about property-tax hikes cost her the election.

"I think what cost me votes was the way it was misrepresented," she said.

Which brought her to the other timely element in my call: an allegation about a campaign within the campaign during the last civic election.

"Robocalls are in the news lots today, right?" she said. "In my case, people received robocalls suggesting they would lose their homes because of my campaign promises on the taxation front."

But, unlike the ongoing investigation into robocalls made during the federal election, there's no suggestion there was anything illegal going on.

It was just trying to spread fear about raising property taxes.

And look where we are today?

As an afterthought, I asked Wasylycia-Leis what she thought about another effort on the city's part to raise money -- police officers being ordered to write more traffic tickets.

"Well," Wasylycia-Leis said, pausing to be sure she wasn't about to step on a land mine that would blow up in her face if she decides to run again. "I don't know enough about that to actually comment."

No, well, I know someone who does.

More than one someone, actually. A couple of former cops.

Mike Sutherland is the president of the Winnipeg Police Association, and I heard him commenting on the radio, suggesting the rank and file are upset; They don't like being ordered to write traffic tickets en masse.

No doubt.

It's hardly good for an officer's image in the community when everyone knows the effort is all about another revenue grab instead of road safety.

Meanwhile, a retired senior police officer of my acquaintance sent me the following comment via email.

"If you thought the cops were giving out cheap shot/questionable tickets before... fasten your seatbelts. If you thought (people) contested their traffic-offence notices in the past... wait for the new tidal wave. And for the greedy, pension-padding constables who truly love to issue questionable offences, this is the best news they have ever received. More court time... most on OT and a bigger pension. And so it goes."

Which reminds me I should be reminding all of you, cops and general citizens alike.

Be careful out there.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 1, 2012 B1