Multi-year budget: 2025 update

Recent public opinion surveys by Probe Research and Abacus Data have made it clear that Winnipeggers want more investment to service a growing city, with safer neighborhoods and improved infrastructure at the top of the list. This budget delivers on these priorities, while also addressing long-standing financial challenges.

Winnipeg is growing, but our public safety resources haven’t kept pace. The ongoing opioid crisis, increasing fire calls, street violence, and aggressive retail theft are just a few of the challenges first responders face every day. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Police Service’s officer-to-resident ratio has fallen by 17.5% since 2014, and no additional firefighters have been added in recent years.

This budget begins to address those challenges. It funds:

• 36 new police officers and additional patrol cars over two years.
• 15 additional Community Safety Officers to enhance transit security.
• 24 new firefighters for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
• $1 million for community-based crime prevention through youth recreation programming in high-needs neighbourhoods.

These investments are about giving the public confidence that emergency services will be there when needed, and giving our first responders the support they need to keep our city safe and secure.

We’re making historic investments in Winnipeg’s roads to improve mobility, safety, and the quality of life for everyone. The 2025 budget includes an unprecedented $1 billion investment in regional and local street renewal over the next six years. For 2025 alone, $169.3 million is planned for road repairs, active transportation, and road safety projects—up from $146.52 million in 2024.

Transit support is also growing, with the operating subsidy reaching a historic $124 million as we prepare to launch our new city-wide transit network next summer. We’re also maintaining planned investments in community and recreation projects while redirecting resources to rebuild St. Boniface’s aquatic assets, which had deteriorated beyond repair.

Under provincial law, Winnipeg cannot budget for operating deficits. Any year-end shortfall must be covered immediately in the next year from reserves, service cuts or increased taxes. However, cost increases on contracts, inflation-driven wage settlements and various grant and revenue constraints have all combined to increase the risk of year-end "structural deficits" into the 2020s.

The Budget Working Group identified $84.2 million in “risk issues” for Fiscal Year 2025 alone. These include escalating Workers Compensation Board claims, higher snow clearing contract costs, and Transit fare revenue shortfalls. Meanwhile, due in part to inflation and the legacy of pandemic costs, the City’s Financial Stabilization Reserve (FSR) will be fully expended at the end of 2024. The responsible step for the City’s long-term financial health is to start rebuilding the FSR for risk management. 

This budget takes a balanced approach:

• A 5.95% property tax increase – lower than the Canadian average in 2024 (6%) and lower than many post-pandemic increases in other cities – with 2% dedicated to roads, 1.5% for essential operations, and 2.45% allocated to public safety and addressing financial risks.
• The creation of a new Continuous Improvement process led by our CFO to identify ongoing savings.
• Exploring efficiencies like piloting smarter snow plowing practices to save millions.

The Budget Working Group will also work into Spring 2025 as a “Budget Management Team” to investigate savings options that would not normally be captured in the budget cycle.

To build the city Winnipeg deserves, we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we’ve been working closely with our provincial and federal partners to secure the support needed for our growing city.

Our fiscal model, compared to many other cities, is outdated and doesn’t grow with the economy, population, or inflation. Unlike Regina and Saskatoon, Winnipeg doesn’t have a growth-revenue sharing agreement. Cities like Halifax, Quebec City, Toronto, and Metro Vancouver have provincial support to explore fairer tax options beyond property taxes — something Winnipeg is currently unable to do.

We’ve made progress. In November, Premier Wab Kinew announced an increase in municipal grants over the next five years, adding more than $7 million annually to Winnipeg’s operating grant. These funds will go toward rebuilding our FSR to manage future risks. While this is a welcome step, it’s only part of the solution. Long-term financial stability requires systemic changes to how Winnipeg is funded.

On the federal front, the Canada Housing Accelerator Fund continues to provide essential support for housing projects. The 2025 budget was drafted to clearly distinguish this valuable federal investment from other operating costs. 

Expanding wastewater capacity is critical to ensuring these housing projects can move forward, but the City cannot pay for the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) project alone without significant cost increases for ratepayers. We’re grateful to both the federal and provincial governments for their constructive discussions on financing NEWPCC. A solution here is vital — not just for housing development but for the health of our environment and future generations.

Partnerships like these are key to unlocking Winnipeg’s potential. We’ll keep pushing for the tools and funding necessary to create a safer, more vibrant city for all.

In closing, this budget reflects the priorities of Winnipeggers — safer neighborhoods, better roads, and responsible financial planning. Together, we’re building a city that’s safer, stronger, and ready for the future.

Scott Gillingham
Mayor
City of Winnipeg

Jeff Browaty
Councillor, North Kildonan
Chair, Standing Policy Committee on Finance and Economic Development