Gillingham lists first-term mayoral accomplishments on way to register for Round 2

Mayor Scott Gillingham says he’s the right candidate to provide consistent leadership for Winnipeg over the next four years, amid affordability and crime concerns.

“I know I have the team and the experience to continue to provide that stable leadership in times that are uncertain,” said Gillingham.

The incumbent candidate spoke with reporters Friday afternoon, just before registering his bid to be re-elected to a second term as mayor.

Gillingham credited the first city council he led with taking action on several long-standing issues, such as furthering work on the North End sewage treatment plant upgrade, the redevelopment of Portage Place and the reopening of Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrians.

“We have made a lot of progress in this first term, as a council. I think I’ve led decisions that (had) been held up for years,” he said.

While incumbent Winnipeg mayors have proven tough to beat in the past, Gillingham faced criticism last year for backing off some 2022 election promises.

He initially said he would respect the results of a 2018 non-binding plebiscite in which 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted “no” to reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians.

But the historic intersection — blocked off to pedestrians forced underground to cross the street since 1979 — reopened last June, several weeks after Gillingham declared an estimated $73 million to repair the concourse below was far too expensive.

The mayor also promised to raise property taxes by 3.5 per cent per year but levied a 5.95 per cent increase, marking Winnipeg’s largest annual tax hike since the 1990s.

Two other major fee hikes took effect April 1, 2025, when the annual per-home garbage fee rose to $254 from $93, and the typical home’s sewer rate increased by $18.67 per month, or $168.03 for the rest of that year.

On Friday, Gillingham said those changes allowed the city to raise much-needed revenue to fund sewage treatment projects, transit security officers, firefighters and police officers.

“As a council, we have had the courage finally to make the decisions to raise the revenue needed for the city, to make sure that we are adding more public service…. All of that costs money at a time when costs for everybody, including the City of Winnipeg, are going up,” he said.

Gillingham declined to offer any hint on the level of future garbage fees or property taxes if he’s re-elected, though he committed to releasing a fully costed platform.

He noted city council has approved a plan to freeze water and sewer rates in 2027, if the province and Ottawa each commit to fund one-third of the cost of the final phase of the overall $3.1-billion North End sewage treatment plant upgrade.

The mayor said city council will continue work to improve the transit system, calling the route network criticized by many riders a “bold” choice that will help prepare Winnipeg for the future.

He said there will be more work to boost public safety.

In 2022, Gillingham won 27.5 per cent of the vote, narrowly beating second-place contender Glen Murray, who finished with 25.3 per cent.

Murray, who served as Winnipeg’s mayor from 1998 to 2004, said Friday that he will not enter the 2026 mayoral race.

The former mayor now divides his time between Winnipeg and Toronto and said he is currently focusing on work related to artificial intelligence and affordable housing.

Former city councillor and provincial cabinet minister Kevin Klein, who claimed third place in the 2022 election, did not respond to requests for comment.

Social enterprise expert Shaun Loney, the fourth-place mayoral candidate in 2022, previously confirmed he will not run again.

Christopher Clacio was the first person to register a mayoral bid on Friday morning; he received less than one per cent of the 2022 vote, as did Don Woodstock, who has also said he plans to run again this year.

Mayoral candidates can register until Sept. 22.

Most of Winnipeg’s 15 city councillors say they plan to seek re-election, though John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry), Emma Durand-Wood (Elmwood-East Kildonan), Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Russ Wyatt (Transcona) say they are still considering their options.

Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) did not respond to requests for comment.

Candidates can register to run for city councillor positions between June 30 and Sept. 22.

Voters can also expect two key election changes.

The city will replace paper voter-registration records that required workers to manually strike off names and, instead, employ electronic poll books, which were used during advance voting in both 2018 and 2022.

“Electronic poll books are expected to make the voting process on election day quicker and easier. They also allow for eligible voters to cast their ballot at more locations in their ward,” city spokesperson Tamara Forlanski said in an email.

Election day is Oct. 28.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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