Winnipeg, Manitoba - Following the commencement of Council's July meeting, the final Council meeting before prorogue, Mayor Brian Bowman recognized noteworthy accomplishments of the 14th sitting of Council over the last 255 days.
“Winnipeg’s 14th City Council came in last November ready to tackle the immense challenge, together, to restore citizens’ trust in a broken City Hall,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “I am very pleased not only with Council’s dedication to make the tough decisions to truly effect positive change, but also the lesser-acknowledged accomplishments that add up to a strong start on the path Winnipeggers want Council to take until 2018.”
Bowman added he is also proud of how the community came together to handle unexpected but important matters like the response to tackle racism and Indigenous issues head-on, as well as the Public Service’s quick and open response to the precautionary boil water advisory event in January.
Highlights:
- Amended the Elected Officials Compensation By-law to reduce the salaries of the Mayor, members of EPC, the Council Speaker and Deputy Speaker, returning $400,000 to city revenues;
- Endorsed the United Way’s Plan to End Homelessness and committed $750,000 through 2019 to the plan;
- Created the Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives that serves as the liaison between the elected officials and the Public Service, and work to restore boundaries between the two bodies;
- Established the Office of Public Engagement that directs public consultation activities of major city projects with the improved engagement expectations of the community;
- Hired a new, permanent Chief Administrative Officer;
- Balanced the 2015 Budget facing a growing gap between revenue and the spending required to help maintain and modernize our growing, thriving city;
- Dedicated $103.3 million - record levels of funding - to key priorities, like street renewal, while keeping tax increases just as low as possible;
- Funded the development of the City’s first ever Transportation Management Centre to manage traffic flow, to be operational by the end of 2016;
- Increased funding for the Arts and museums to move Winnipeg closer to the national per capita average;
- Decreased the City’s business tax rate from 5.7 to 5.6 per cent, providing nearly half of all Winnipeg businesses (with an annual rental value of >$30,000) with a full rebate;
- Developed a sustainable, multi-year funding plan to ensure completion of Stage 2 of the Southwest Rapid Transitway remains on track, including partnering with the federal government to secure P3 funding and approved a financing solution by front-ending a portion of the Province’s financial commitment;
- Established the $1 million Innovation Capital Fund to provide investment for the best ideas for improved efficiency, service delivery and responsiveness in City operations;
- Established the Whistleblower Protection Act for civic employees with the support of the province - the first municipality in Canada to enact this protection legislation;
- Negotiated an agreement in principle to sell City-owned industrial land to Parmalat Canada Inc. for the expansion of a new fluid milk processing plant in Winnipeg;
- Approved the City’s 20-year long-term Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies providing City Council with a guideline for future active transportation budgets, consultations and planning.
For a more complete list of programs, projects and initiatives accomplished by Winnipeg City Council and Mayor Brian Bowman, please visit mayorbowman.ca/priorities.
Mayor Brian Bowman is dedicated to addressing the issues that are priorities for Winnipeggers. He is committed to building a City Hall that works: with an open and transparent City Hall, a growing, thriving more modern city that we are all proud to call home, and a city that receives its fair share through a funding model that works as we grow.