Bumpy ride ahead, mayor warns

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This article was published 15/11/2017 (2894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayor Brian Bowman says the Pallister government has caused a $10-million shortfall in Winnipeg Transit’s budget, which could mean the end of 59 routes, the layoff of 120 drivers and an additional 25-cent fare increase.

“It’s unfair to cause transit passengers and operators to bear the entire $10-million cost of the provincial funding gap but there is no doubt that it’s going to negatively impact transit users and something has to give in order for us to balance the budget,” Bowman told reporters Wednesday following the monthly council meeting.

Bowman unveiled his doomsday scenario for transit as part of city hall’s submission in advance of the provincial government’s next budget.

Bowman’s warning also comes one week ahead of the city’s own preliminary 2018 budget.

Bowman admitted that it’s unlikely the transit cuts will be as severe as he projected, adding he hopes his bleak message will pressure the province to revive the 50-50 cost-sharing formula for Winnipeg Transit’s operating budget. That formula was cut unilaterally in last spring’s provincial budget.

In addition to restoring the 50-50 transit funding agreement, Bowman said city hall also wants the province to:

• Endorse the city’s accelerated regional roads proposal. Ottawa has already agreed to provide the city $182 million over six years for its regional road program, with no additional funding from city hall or the province, but the program requires provincial support. So far, the Pallister government has not done this.

• Commit to a long-term, predictable, growth-oriented funding framework. The province capped its funding transfers to all municipalities in 2017 at 2016 levels. Bowman said the city can’t maintain its services if the freeze remains in place for another year.

“Without inflationary increases, the city will not be able to maintain city assets at necessary levels, let alone continue in our efforts to grow the city and ultimately the provincial tax base,” Bowman said.

City officials have been working for months on the 2018 budget with Bowman’s executive policy committee.

Winnipeggers can expect to see another property-tax increase of 2.3 per cent but Bowman said trying to absorb transit’s $10-million shortfall likely will be spread around to other departments.

“We have been working and we’ll continue to work to mitigate the full impact — but there will be an impact and that will be laid out in the budget, which will be tabled next week,” Bowman said.

Provincial officials said they weren’t feeling any pressure from Bowman’s comments.

Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton said the provincial government isn’t responsible for transit’s financial situation, adding the province provides city hall with a generous amount of funding.

“Those services are their responsibility,” Wharton said. “We’re not, at this point, cutting anything.”

Coun. Jeff Browaty said he hoped Bowman will not make cuts to transit in the city’s 2018 budget.

“Transit is one of the basic services we provide,” Browaty (North Kildonan) said. “The response I’ve heard from my constituents is we need more service, not less.”

Browaty said Bowman has an expensive agenda he’s trying to impose on the city that’s not economically viable given the city’s current financial situation, citing the mayor’s plan to re-open Portage and Main to pedestrians and building more transit corridors.

“When you can’t get basic transit service right, why are we spending $500 million to shave a couple of minutes off a particular transit route and not (improve) transit service overall?” Browaty asked.

— with files from Nick Martin

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca