Bowman still pushing for new infrastructure deal with province

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This article was published 08/05/2015 (3799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman is still hoping to reach a deal on a new infrastructure-funding model for municipalities within the next year.

“This is not something I want to be talking about for four years,” Bowman said in an interview following a breakfast address to about 80 members of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA).

“We need to change the model very soon.”

Asked if he has a time frame in mind for how soon he’d like to have a new funding arrangement in place with the province, Bowman said, “certainly before the next provincial budget, if not before the next provincial (election) campaign.”

The next province election is scheduled for April of next year.

Bowman said while he’s had some “good, productive discussions” already with Premier Greg Selinger, “we’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’re going to have to have some tough discussions in the coming months.”

Bowman and other municipal leaders have repeatedly said the current funding model, in which property taxes serve as the main source of revenue for municipalities, is broken and needed to be replaced.

During his address to the MHCA members, Bowman said fixing crumbling streets, roads, sidewalks and bridges remains the number one priority of Winnipeggers. And it remains a top priority for him and Winnipeg’s new city council.

“Our city is growing and our infrastructure must grow with it,” he added.

He noted the city is spending a record $103.3 million on road repairs this year, which is triple what it spent in 2012. But it’s still nowhere near enough.