Doug Dobrowolski, President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is hoping last week’s provincial budget will focus less on merging municipalities and more on the things that really matter to Manitobans, like alternate revenue for infrastructure and housing.
The AMM met with Finance Minister Stan Struthers last December and presented a pre-budget wish list of almost four dozen priority items. However, Dobrowolski says the most urgent problem facing Manitoba municipalities continues to revolve around the need for new alternate revenue sources to fund infrastructure. “It’s simple,” explains Dobrowolski. “Without a significant investment over and above existing levels municipalities will continue to struggle to address the infrastructure deficit in their communities.”
The recent federal budget satisfied municipalities by introducing a new 10-year Building Canada Plan, indexing the Gas Tax by two per cent annually, and preserving critical housing programs. The AMM would like to see the Province take a page from the federal government’s playbook.
“The Government of Canada has clearly pledged to work with us,” said Dobrowolski. “The Province of Manitoba has also committed to working with municipalities, but we need specifics. Too much energy has been devoted to amalgamation, and far too little on funding the infrastructure that will stimulate the economy and make our communities more competitive. The current system is simply not sustainable.”
Housing is also important for communities in Manitoba, said Dobrowolski. “Despite the Province’s recent push for amalgamation, our communities are thriving and they are growing, and so is the need for affordable housing. We need to see some acknowledgement of this in the budget.”
