A household assessed at $371,000 in value would pay about $75 more per year in property taxes under the draft budget’s proposed rates. The city says it expects to garner an additional $26.6 million next year as a result of the property tax hike, of which it has allocated $7.6 million for building out local streets, bridges and sidewalks.
“Even with this adjustment, Winnipeg continues to maintain the lowest municipal property taxes and collect the lowest per capita revenue of any major Canadian city.”
The draft budget outlines a spending increase that is up 5.2 percent from the previous budget, with the city planning to undertake a $1.2 billion capital program in the coming year as part of a $3.8 billion six-year plan that began last year.
The $3.8 billion includes $1.1 billion earmarked to improve and renew Winnipeg streets as well as buying land linked to Route 90 and the Chief Peguis Trail expansion.
Much of the spending increase is due to a large renovation of the city’s North End Water Pollution Control Centre, which Gillingham and Browaty say is necessary “to meet environmental standards and to ensure Winnipeg can continue approving new homes and new business permits into the 2030s.”
Phase one and two of the wastewater facility are fully funded but the city said it aims to take on $547 million in debt in order to fund phase three next year.
The budget includes $239 million for the city’s transit fleet, with the goal of adding 143 buses by 2030, as well as $79 million to improve recreation facilities and libraries as well as build new ones.
The city plans to create 40 more firefighter positions in the next four years, which it says will reduce overtime and ease strain on existing firefighters.
Winnipeg residents can also expect water and sewage rates to climb by about 2.8 percent in 2026, garbage rates to rise around 4 percent, and public transit fares to go up 10 percent to around $3.45 for a standard adult fare.
City council is slated to vote on the budget on Dec. 17.
