WINNIPEG - JANUARY 20, 2005 - Committed to seeing Winnipeg move to a new level, Mayor Sam Katz today outlined during his State of the City speech a vision of a city that can fulfill the promise and recapture the momentum it once enjoyed.

“They used to call Winnipeg ‘Chicago of the North’. This city was a leader in North America,” said Katz. “I want to bring that momentum back again. We have an opportunity. The foundation is there, but we need to work hard to bring this vision to life.”

During his speech, Katz outlined several major priorities for 2005:

• Freezing property taxes, and cutting downtown business taxes in the 2005 operating budget.
• Exploring the sale of assets such as golf courses, the complete privatization of Glacial Sand and Gravel, and further involvement of the private sector in waste removal services.
• Eliminating the red tape that stands in the way of growth and opportunity.
• Service sharing with capital region municipal governments, paving the way for the city to gain financially from capital region growth.
• Bringing the province and the federal government to the table to address Winnipeg’s crushing infrastructure problems.

“We can’t turn back the clock by raising taxes and turning away from tough decisions,” said Katz. “This city can take on the world. We have the capability, we have the potential, we have the will. Let’s use it.”

Katz outlined these priorities in a speech held by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. He paid tribute to Phil Sheps, Chair of the Board, and Dave Angus, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, for their leadership and commitment to Winnipeg.

Read Mayor Katz's Speech (pdf, 31k)