Manitoba mayors want 'fair share' of provincial infrastructure funding

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, Steinbach Mayor Chris Goertzen, Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest, and other mayors and reeves werein Winnipeg Friday asking their provincial counterparts to give cities a larger share of infrastructure fundsand more say in how those dollars are spent.

• Brian Bowman floats growth fees in State of the City address
• Manitoba Liberals promise municipalities PST rebate if elected

Municipalities receive 8 cents of every tax dollar to address infrastructure needs, said Steinbach Mayor Chris Goertzen, theAMM president.

"We often have little to no say in how the rest gets spent, despite the fact that we live and work in the communities we represent, so are in the best position to identify top priorities," he said.

The AMM believes Manitobans are on their side. The association says polling they commissioned indicates a large majority of Manitobansbelieve local councils deserve a "fair share" of infrastructure tax dollars and a say in how to spendthem.

• Manitobans say deficits OK if government spends on infrastructure

Municipalities are not necessarily looking for taxpayersto pay more. The AMM wants to see a moreefficientallocation of provincial resources, Goertzen said.

Friday is the first day in a six-week campaign by the AMM to lobby provincial candidates.

Some recommendations the AMM is consideringinclude:

• Exempting or rebating the $25 millionmunicipalities pay to the province through the PST.
• Ensuring all infrastructure dollars budgeted by the province are fully allocatedand spent in each budget year.
• Givingmunicipalities the full oneper cent of PST dedicated toinfrastructure spending.

Provincial parties respond

Progressive Conservative LeaderBrian Pallister said if elected,hisparty is committed to sending$10 billiontoward Manitoba infrastructure spending for municipalities, butthat money won't arrivein the form of a blank cheque to any municipality.

"There will be some strings attached,because we are going to be working together," he said."Call it strings or call it co-operation I like co-operation."

Pallister said he wants to work with municipal officials to simplify theprocess on shared costs on infrastructure projects,but also to make sure it remainsfair.

Pallister promised to meet with municipal leaders during the election and hinted the Progressive Conservatives would have more to say,possibly a campaign promise.

"Perhaps even before the writ dropstalk to you in a few days," Pallister said.

The NDP responded to the AMM campaign through municipal government minister Drew Caldwell. While the party plans tolisten to the mayors' concerns, Caldwell maintains the government's record stands for itself.

"It's important to note that Manitoba has the most generous municipal funding programs of any province in Canada,"Caldwell said.

"Could we do better than the best in Canada? Probably we could improve on it, but that's where we're starting from; the best programs in the country."

The Manitoba Liberals preliminary promisescome theclosest to granting the mayors' their wishes. The party has already promised to give municipalities onepercentage point ofPST revenue.

"This is something they [municipal politicians] have been asking for years now and it is so important for municipalities to have the dollars to do what they need to do," Liberal LeaderRanaBokharisaid Friday.

"It's partnership," Bokhariadded."Manitobans are Manitobans no matter where they are and those municipalities need to be able to make decisions for themselves."