Mayor's inner circle approves Winnipeg budget with minor changes

Mayor Brian Bowman's inner circle made only minor amendments to Winnipeg's budget before approving the city's spending plans for 2017.

Council's executive policy committee voted unanimously Friday morning to approve Winnipeg's $1.08-billion operating budget, a blueprint forspending on city services, and $318-million capital budget, which is a list of construction projects, buildingupgrades and equipment purchases.

The approval followedtwo weeks of council committee meetings about the budget, including a Thursday EPC session where more than two dozen lobbyists and community groups appealed to the mayor and the rest of the committee for additional funds.

In the end, the executive policy committee only approved $22,000 worth of amendments. The committee voted to top up a grant to Heritage Winnipeg by $5,000, give Mediation Services an additional $10,000 and support Take Pride Winnipeg's "snow angels" trial project a volunteer shovelling effort with a $7,000 grant.

"There were many organizations we wanted to provide funds for in the budget," Bowman said following the meeting.

"Unfortunately, given the financial constraints and the need to balance the budget and focus on the No. 1 priority for Winnipeggers, which is fixing the roads, we weren't able to recommend to council funding for some organizations that are near and dear to my heart."

The executive policy committee also did not increase funding for parks and open spaces, where funding has been nearly static. In the fall, parks and open spaces manager Dave Domke warned without anincrease of $2.8 million, mowing and other services would be cut in 2017.

Council's protection, community services and parks committee could not agree on a motion to recommend an increase to the parks budget.

"We'd like to have additional funds for a number of departments," Bowman said.

The budget moves on to council on Tuesday.

CouncillorsRuss Wyatt (Transcona), Ross Eadie(Mynarksi) and Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) have panned the spending plan as a "shell game,"with Wyatt and Eadie complainingthe roadwork budget remains static over 2016 even though property-tax hikes are dedicated to road renewals. Browaty's beef lies with the persistence of a smaller hike dedicated to rapid transit even though the cost of the Southwest Transitway's second phase has been reduced.