Bowman's budget 'too expensive' for some families, but road money 'long overdue'
CBC News | Posted: March 4, 2015 12:02 AM | Last Updated: March 4, 2015
Some low-income Winnipeggers fear they won't be able to afford Brian Bowman's first budget as mayor.
The budget released Tuesday contains a 2.3 per cent property tax increase worth an average $37, an average $30 a year increase in frontage levy fees, an extra $5 for garbage pickup, a transit fare hike of five cents in 2016, and a $10 per quarter water bill increase also in 2016.
Coralynn Stevenson and Bradley Morand, who rent a home in Point Douglas, say they just can't afford all that, especially not with a baby on the way.
"It kind of makes me feel a little nervous," said Stevenson.
They walked from their home to the Women's Hospital on Notre Dame Ave. for a pre-natal appointment today because they were 50 cents short on the fare.
A hike in the fare will mean they will have a lot more walking to do down the road.
"It's too expensive," Morand said. "Hygeine and stuff comes first. After all that's done then it's just too much to pay for bus passes and bus tickets."
The couple is also worried about their water bill, given that families will pay about $40 a year more.
"Like I barely have anything left for food," Stevenson said. "We already use food banks, like all the resources we have, just to struggle by. It's not living. It's surviving."
Students in Winnipeg's Osborne Village don't like much in the budget either, especially the bus fare hike.
"It's really hard for us to afford the bus passes right now," said Isabel Dib. "And if they want to encourage us to not drive and take private transportation, then they should be decreasing the prices, actually."
More money for roads applauded
Chris Lorenc of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association singled out one figure - $103 million - in the budget that he welcomes.
The budget proposes a 22.7 per cent increase adding up to a record $103.3 million for the regional and local street renewal capital program. That's an increase of $19.1 million over last year.
"I think it's important that Winnipeggers applaud the notion that we continue dedicating a revenue stream towards regional streets and residential streets. That's long overdue," he said.
Lorenc said the $103 million is a good start, but the city also needs a long-term plan for infrastructure, which includes an investment plan for roads.
"We certainly hope that what will ultimately accompany these dedicated revenue streams is an economic growth plan, because without growing the economy and investing in infrastructure, we're just repairing or building. And that ought not to be good enough," he said.
CAA Manitoba, which has been calling for years for more funding to repair our crumbling infrastructure, also welcomed the promises in the budget.
"No tax hike is ever welcome by any taxpayer, so we don't like to see those kids of things," said the CAA's Angele Young. "But again, we're happy to see that the City of Winnipeg is making roads a huge priority."
Even Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, who is not part of the mayor's inner circle, didn't have much to complain about in the budget.
One of her top priorities is rapid transit and she said she accepts the fare increase of five cents to help fund future projects.
"I'm not thrilled with it in principle, but looking at the whole picture it could have been a lot worse," she said. "And there was a charge for all citizens as well. So there was a bit more balance to it."
One-third of a percent of the property tax increase will also go to rapid transit.