City budget’s fine print By: Danielle Da Silva Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham’s first budget makes good on key campaign promises and earmarks money for big-ticket and overdue capital projects supported, in part, by proposed increases to property taxes and the frontage levy.

Here are some of the highlights:

New security teams for Winnipeg Transit

It will cost $5 million to launch a “transit safety team initiative” in response to concerns over public and driver safety.

Gillingham said more details will be provided before council votes on the budget, but the money will cover costs to hire and train staff before the end of this year.

His vision for the program does not include armed staff. However, he expects they will be trained in de-escalation techniques, have some authority to arrest people in criminal circumstances, and will collaborate with social service agencies.

“It’s not just about enforcement,” Gillingham said.

Transit service will be restored to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by September, which will require work on driver recruitment and retention.

Neighbourhood action teams

Neighbourhood action teams are a new initiative for the City of Winnipeg and an election campaign promise made by Gillingham.

They will be trained to provide a range of neighbourhood-level services that support the public service. Gillingham said the city employees may be tasked with filling pothole, trimming trees, or making curb repairs.

“They’ll descend upon a community and tackle several jobs,” Gillingham said. “They’ll do a variety of jobs to supplement what our departments are doing and get more work done in our community, faster,” Gillingham said.

The budget includes $450,000 to establish the teams. Gillingham said the goal is to have them in place by the second half of the year.

No money for a new Arlington Bridge

The city is hoping to get more time out of the 111-year-old Arlington Bridge and has earmarked $850,000 for rehabilitation.

The money includes the cost of a study to keep the structure over of the Canadian Pacific rail yards operating for at least 25 more years. A preliminary design for a new bridge has been completed, but elected officials have not indicated when the replacement will be funded.

Gillingham said the city does not have the money to replace the bridge.

Trade routes that support economic growth must be prioritized for spending, Gillingham said. The widening of Kenaston Boulevard is critical to the success of the Naawi-Oodena development at the former Kapyong Barrack site, he said.

“A budget is a priorities document,” Gillingham said. “The development Naawi-Oodena is so critical to this city, it’s so critical to non-Indigenous and Indigenous members of Winnipeg.”

The city has set aside $150,00 to support the municipal service delivery agreement for Naawi-Oodena and $2.8 million for work to plan and design the Chief Peguis extension and Kenaston Boulevard widening.

Pet licensing fees to increase among others

Pet owners whose animals have not been fixed can expect to pay more to license them. Cat and dog licenses are going up to $61 and $123, respectively. Adoption fees for dogs are also increasing.

“As the pandemic was sort of winding down, we were seeing an increased number of animals being left and ending up in our animal services facilities,” finance committee chair Jeff Browaty said. “The increase in fees is specifically for in-tact animals. This was to further encourage residents of Winnipeg to spay and neuter their pets.”

Most new fees are for service and most Winnipeggers will not see the fees directly, he said.

Fees for fireworks site inspections, occupancy inspection fees, and select emergency response fees for personal care homes are going up.

Permitting, 311 staff to be bolstered

To improve the building permitting process, the city proposes to spend nearly half a million to add up to five permanent staff and up to $2 million to maintain temporary staff.

Gillingham said waits for 311 are too long. Up to $1.1 million in new spending will go to 311 to increase its budget by 25 per cent and to recruit and retain workers.

“This increases the staffing levels so that citizens of Winnipeg can get their calls answered sooner,” he said.

New recreation centre for east Winnipeg

Preliminary design work for a regional recreation centre in east Winnipeg will cost $2 million. The future “East of the Red RecPlex” is proposed to have a leisure pool, lane swim tank, indoor track, fitness areas, gymnasium and multi-purpose rooms and to be attached to Transcona Library at 1 Transcona Blvd.

Staffing reductions contingent on provincial funding

The city is proposing an additional $10.4 million in cost control, including a $1.9 million savings in vacancy management and staffing cuts.

However, following through on “efficiencies” will be contingent on operating funding provided by the provincial government, Gillingham said.

Provincial transfers to municipal governments have been frozen for seven years; however, Premier Heather Stefanson’s government has signalled a thaw may be coming in the spring budget.

“If indeed the province does come through as it hinted with some incremental revenue for the City of Winnipeg, then certainly a portion of that incremental revenue would go towards offsetting the corporate efficiencies,” Gillingham said.

Money for shelters, arts, archives and trees

City council proposes to spend more money on social and cultural organizations and to improve the tree canopy.

An additional $1 million will support 24-7 safe spaces and shelters for people who do not have stable housing. Meanwhile, security improvements at the Millennium Library will cost at least $100,000.

Funding to the Winnipeg Arts Council will be restored to pre-pandemic levels. Another $12.6 million is earmarked for the City Archives building at 380 William Ave.

The budget for trees, meanwhile, is increasing nearly 22 per cent to $26.3 million, including $3.6 million in city funding on top of money from the federal government.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca

Danielle Da Silva
Reporter

Danielle Da Silva is a general assignment reporter.

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