‘Geared-to-income’ fine system motion defeated

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This article was published 26/10/2021 (1795 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A call for the City of Winnipeg to base fine amounts on the income of the person paying the ticket has been defeated.

On Tuesday, the Riel community committee voted 2-1 against a motion to study options to replace the city’s flat-rate fines for a variety of offences, such as speeding and parking tickets, with “geared-to-income” alternatives.

Coun. Matt Allard, who raised a motion for the public service to study the idea, cast the sole vote in favour of it.

“I think it’s more fair if it’s geared to income,” Allard told the Free Press.

“If you think of speeding… in the case of the lower-income earner or middle-class person speeding, it can be the choice between rent or a car payment and (paying the fine). But for the high-income earner, it is relatively inconsequential the way fines are set up now.”

The committee’s two other members, Couns. Markus Chambers and Brian Mayes, voted against sliding scale ticket rates.

During the meeting, Chambers said the city already has a program that allows those who can’t afford a fine to choose community service work instead.

“They can choose a fine options program to lessen the impact that a ticket that they receive would take away from their income… I think, at this point in time, it’s better left at how we’ve already structured this,” said Chambers.

Both Chambers and Mayes argued the cost spent to implement a “geared-to-income” fine system could also be better spent on programs that directly benefit low-income Winnipeggers.

“The idea is noble, I think, but the costs to implement are uncertain,” said Mayes.

The vote is a final decision.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga