What some stakeholders are looking for in Winnipeg’s 2025 budget

The City of Winnipeg is set to table its preliminary budget Wednesday, and sources confirmed to Global News property taxes could increase by 5.95 per cent.

Mayor Scott Gillingham campaigned on a 3.5 per cent property tax increase.

“The fact that he’s going back on his promise is obviously the worst thing for property owners,” said Candian Taxpayers Federation Prairie director Gage Haubrich.

Haubrich questions the efficiency of city departments and says savings should have come from within municipal operations.

“What the city should do is go back to its own budget and find things it’s spending too much on and find savings there.”

Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce CEO Loren Remillard wants to see less red tape for business owners.

“We want to see investment in the processes at City Hall, to make it easier to do business with the city, to make it easier to take out permits, easier to open a business, digitization,” he said.

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“We want to support a healthy, dynamic, business community that’s what provides the means, the revenue to provide the services that we need.”

He says the biggest concern among chamber members is crime, especially in the city’s downtown core.

“We want to see sufficient, responsible investments in Winnipeg policing and other investments that support a reduction in criminal activity,” he said.

Christina Maes Nino with the Manitoba Nonprofit Housing Association says a property tax increase will put strain on both renters and homeowners.

“The nonprofit sector is often asking the city to do more when it comes to housing, so it’d be a bit of a contradiction for us to say, ‘do more for nonprofit housing’ and also ‘don’t raise taxes.’ So we understand that it needs to come from somewhere.”

She says the city’s money for housing often comes from provincial or federal housing programs, and that an investment in affordable housing would help the city’s financial picture long term.

“Until we can reduce homelessness and emergency services through having affordable housing for people, there is a hole in the city’s budget, and we recognize that needs to be covered. If taxes are the way to do that, then we’re okay with supporting that increase.”

The City of Winnipeg will table its preliminary budget on Wednesday.

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