Keeping municipalities in mind

Opinion

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This article was published 29/09/2023 (709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AS Manitobans head toward the most competitive provincial election in recent memory, it is important that our provincial politicians remember the needs of our municipalities — the provincial government’s critical partners.

Manitoba’s 137 municipalities came together at the beginning of the election to decide on a common set of priorities. These have guided our political outreach throughout the campaign, and will continue to shape our relations with the government following the election, no matter who emerges victorious on Oct. 3.

Our No. 1 priority is fair and predictable municipal funding. For years, municipal operating funding was capped and frozen, hampering our local budgets. This was problematic as we have clear obligations to the public — from infrastructure to the delivery of essential services — yet we are legally prohibited from running deficits and must balance our books. The funding freeze was finally lifted earlier this year, but municipalities need predictable funding going forward that keeps pace with inflation.

That is why we have been calling for all parties to commit to establishing a simplified, predictable funding model with an annual escalator. We have also been calling on the political parties to commit to rebating the PST paid by municipalities, similarly to the federal GST rebate. We would also like to see the streamlining of existing tax tools and granting of greater flexibility and financial autonomy to municipal governments.

On this measure, we are satisfied that we have been heard. All parties have committed to increasing municipal transfers and to working with us on funding predictability. This is a clear win for Manitobans.

Municipalities’ second priority is investment in core infrastructure. We need to increase Manitoba Water Services Board funding for water and wastewater infrastructure, and we need a permanent federal and provincial infrastructure fund. We also need to enshrine the primacy of elected municipal councils over the unelected Municipal Board to protect municipal autonomy.

It is also time we stopped treating broadband internet and reliable cellular service as a nice-to-have, instead of the critical infrastructure it is in today’s economy. Broadband and cellular service are essential infrastructure, vital for education and work — urban and rural — in addition to being a conduit for health care and personal safety.

This election campaign has had too little discussion on infrastructure. Yes, some commitments have been made to specific projects, but larger structural needs remain unresolved.

Human infrastructure is our third priority, and we are pleased to see this acknowledged by all parties in this election. We have called for a comprehensive provincial strategy to recruit health care professionals throughout Manitoba. We call this, “care closer to home.”

We have called for the implementation of the recommendations from the Immigration Advisory Council to increase regional settlement incentives for foreign-trained doctors and other professionals, and for expedited recognition of international credentials, so qualified individuals are able to put their skills to work to help Manitobans in need.

On these labour market needs, we feel we have been heard. We are buoyed that all parties have taken seriously the need to address medical and labour market shortages, and we look forward to further collaboration.

Our fourth priority is public safety. We sought commitments from all parties that they would press the federal government for bail and conditional release reform, that they would refuse downloading of policing reform costs that saddle municipalities with new and unnecessary costs, and that they would provide predictable police resourcing.

That also means flexibility: allowing municipalities to move certain enforcement and social service functions from police to separate provincially funded authorities like transit authorities or health-and-welfare or mental health agencies where it makes sense. This can offset the burden on police resources, and even help prevent crime.

But with rural crime, property crime, drug crime, and violent crime all on the rise, we also need increased police funding. That should come with continued innovation in how we do policing in culturally appropriate ways. And where municipal community safety and well-being plans have a track record of success in diverting crime, they should be expanded so all municipalities can benefit.

Here, too, we have been heard. Though the details and focus of proposed solutions vary, we have heard serious commitments from all parties — and all will contribute positively. Moreover, we are glad to see parties making pledges to support police forces.

Our municipalities are the order of government closest to the people. We are the first line of defence, and we are the immediate service and infrastructure providers with which Manitobans interact on a day-to-day basis. We provide emergency services, we maintain roads, bridges, and water treatment. We keep people safe.

The needs of municipalities cannot be an afterthought — they need to be central to any new provincial government mandate. We have advocated for these priorities throughout the election, and we will continue to press them with the government following Oct. 3 — so we can grow Manitoba together.

Kam Blight is president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, which represents the 137 incorporated municipalities in Manitoba