Safety, transit among priorities as City of Winnipeg set to unveil preliminary budget Nov. 26

The City of Winnipeg will unveil its preliminary 2022 budget later this month.

Finance committee chair Scott Gillingham will present the budget at a meeting of the Executive Policy Committee on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021.

Priority areas identified through the city's public engagement process include safety, community services, roads, driving efficiencies and public transit, the city said in a news release.

Last week, city finance officials forecasted this year's deficit is on track to reach $17.3 million by the end of this year, due partly to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as fire-paramedic service costsbecause of staff shortagesand higher police pensions due toan arbitrator'sdecision last yearin favour of the Winnipeg Police Association.

Next year's budget will be the third of the current four-year budget process, which began in 2020.

Once the preliminary budget is tabled, it will move through a series of committees from Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, with full council to consider it at a special meeting on Dec. 15.

Anyone who would like to register as a delegate can contact city clerks by email cityclerks@winnipeg.ca or call 204-986-8665, and must register by 4:30 p.m. the day prior to the meeting.