City to raise property taxes almost six per cent in next week’s budget update

Your property tax bills are set to go up as the City of Winnipeg scrambles for ways to find revenue.

Sources tell Global News a 5.95 per cent property tax increase is expected to be announced for next year in next week’s budget update, which would make this the largest tax increase in 34 years.

The city’s third-quarter financial forecast released a few weeks ago found a $23.4 million as of September 30.

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Finance Chair Jeff Browaty has said the city is facing ongoing challenges as population growth, service demands and inflation outpace revenue and has hinted for weeks that an increase like this may be coming.

Gage Haubrich of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the city needs to be looking for more savings, instead of increasing taxes.

“They need to find a way to cut down on essential programs,” Haubrich said. “Whether it means not funding as many local arts projects and making sure the city is just doing the things cities are supposed to do, like keep the roads clean and fund the police. It’s got to get back to basics, because taxpayers can’t afford a huge tax hike.”

Kate Kehler of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg says the city needs to re-think how it collects property taxes.

“We need a system that will actually tax homes with higher property values at a higher rate and homes with a lower value with rebate, so they will pay less.”

The preliminary budget update will be tabled on December 11.

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