City of Steinbach Mayor Chris Goertzen, along with the mayors of other Manitoba’s cities, met in Brandon yesterday and agreed infrastructure and public safety are the top priorities facing their communities.
According to Chair of the newly formed Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) Cities Caucus, City of Steinbach Mayor Chris Goertzen, the need for an organized group to work within the auspices of the AMM has been evident for some time. “Cities share similar issues and we felt collectively we could all benefit from an organized forum to share our specific concerns and find ways to lobby for the things our cities need,” he said.
Although numerous issues raised were deemed challenging, there was little argument that infrastructure continues to be the most difficult issue facing cities today. Public safety was agreed to be a close second, with a handful of additional issues receiving attention.
The top two came as no surprise to AMM President Doug Dobrowolski. “Infrastructure affects each one of us on a daily basis, and the constant struggle to finance much-needed infrastructure projects really impacts growth in our cities,” he said. “And public safety – not just the cost of policing, but the need to deal with the root issues of crime – is a problem that just continues to grow in severity, particularly in cities.”
The AMM is one of the only municipal associations in Canada representing all municipalities, and speaking with one united voice is a winning formula according to Dobrowolski. But, “we also recognize there can be great benefit for communities that share common ground to join forces. That is what the Cities Caucus is about.”
The AMM Cities Caucus will meet in the coming months to identify other issues.
