(check against delivery)
Mme Speaker Sharma,
With final amendments, the executive policy committee and budgetary working group has turned over this multiyear budget for debate at council.
It has been a long road since the initial November direction to city departments with budget presentations and operating expenditure reduction options that considered closure of pools, libraries and assorted austere expenditure reductions.
Upon hearing expenditure reductions, there was a very swift Winnipeg dispatch to city hall. Coalitions like functional transit, budget for all, millennium for all, youth agencies alliances, library board, Student Associations from University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, and Red River College, Trees Winnipeg, beloved former city councillors, labour partner CUPE local 500, Social Planning Council, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative, Winnipeg business community – Biz economic development zones, Artists like the formidable Wanda Koop, Glenelm Neighbours, Ours Winnipeg, Bike Winnipeg, the students of Oakenwald school produced a music video and a book, other teachers and classrooms wrote in. The attendance at standing policy committees and in two rounds produced many Winnipeggers at their city hall.
Top of mind, were calls against austerity. Fundamental to their resolve, was leaving no one behind. To encourage that expression of our shared values found in our city motto:
“One with the strength of many.”
In this multi-year budget, and going forward in every budget we need to work together as a council to address the causes of the structural deficit – and many of the issues that are on the revenue side including: that the city has not raised taxes in two decades; kept up with inflation or growth we are experiencing; that our provincial government should provide adequate funding levels for its capital city and not withdrawing key funding; this city budget does envision being on the other side of impact fees.
Budget should fund plans a priorities, and this multi-year budget was challenged moreso for the absence of strategic policy than its inclusion.
So on the other side of this budget, having received so many delegations, I will paraphrase Ghandi’s words: that “democracy is not a mechanical thing – to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of heart”. Hearts were changed.
Moving beyond budget is to ensure we as a council, in debate, “are not mechanical in form”, there is not obfuscation but enlightenment on priorities and plans.
To that end, while I’ve already named so many, I want to bring together important moments Mme. Speaker, that shaped the multi-year budget debate, where that one voice from delegation or one two or three Councillors demonstrated heart, strength, and in so doing reflected the many. Ultimately, that strength is why I can stand in support of budget today as well as the amending motions.
Speaker Sharma,– you did some heavy lifting not just supporting my preoccupation on libraries, library hours but kicking the whole library redevelopment strategy back in budget and with a major plan to create a new three year recreation and library facility investment fund. Sunday hours are back, and a new West Kildonan Library is a good city building move for the young, old, established Winnipegger, or newcomer. You, Councillor Gillingham, and the Mayor are important architects of this. I am grateful that hearts of so many school children from my ward in Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry to Charleswood- Westwood ward are reflected in budget. So important are continued investments in library technology upgrades; refurbishments and facility safety and accessibility for the library.
I see a day when the airport like security is down at millennium library. While I do not believe that dismantling the security is solely about money this budget contains $373,000 for the community connections space, more money for parking access and revenue control for the parkade.
One element that Ours Winnipeg, Mme Emma Durand Wood and others asked us to consider further was our urban canopy. I want to thank the Mayor for his vision of 1Million Trees that inspired a city.
$140,000 is in this budget to ramp up efforts this year to meet the million tree challenge. My colleague Councillor Orlikow never left the side of the urban canopy and urban forest investments include $28.5M in budget. The focus on public green space and protection of our canopy is notably first on the list following the description of the transformative fund.
If Councillor Mayes and I are like a River, at times we are dancing wavelets other time dangerous white waters. Mayes and I have a serious vision of the green space and the river we share. With the capital project underway at the Pavillion at Crescent Park across from St. Vital Park, and the capital project for Washrooms in Churchill Park, these will be two beautiful bookends across the River. Taken together the $41Million dollar St Vital Bridge from Osborne to Dunkirk– we will continue a unique brand of city building, green and open space, and with a river flowing.
Speaking of water, Fort Garry and other neighbourhoods experience basement flooding and want city investments in both drinking water. Water meter renewal, combined sewer overflow and basement flood management strategy over $180M will help to mitigate basement flooding including Darcy lift station. Councillor Gilroy and I celebrate not only these investments, but continued climate change investments including the first step before a curbside organics program: the source separated organics pilot project.
There is also a discernable funding regime for housing in this budget. There is a structure to it, and a source of funds for 24 hour safe space grants to assist those to assist those that currently cannot stay open for 24hours or 7 days. There needs to be more policy and program work in terms of urban design to keep women and girls safe in Winnipeg, however, ongoing efforts with End Homelessness is funded in budget, along with the Mayors efforts on the Journey to Reconciliation, and more are found in this budget.
Silver cities rise, the morning light, the streets that meet them, and sirens call them on with a song….
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, like my acclaimed council colleague Janice Lukes, may have got everything they wanted in budget. I appreciated was her protectiveness of her ward when cold temperature made heaters work harder and fires erupt. She needs to be first on the list for a fire station and this budget build Waverley West a station.
I look forward on continued work with Councillor Lukes on structural policy work with community centres. In terms of another capital project in Waverley West, I want the centre to be public, open and ready for her residents.
Also with respect to the Fire Paramedic Service Budget, I invite all my council colleagues but in particular the women of council – mothers all of them - to celebrate with me the Sim Mom! This budget invests in $107,000 dollar in a post-partum and maternal simulation doll. Working on dolls before real pregnant women seems like a great idea that this budget invests in.
Functional Transit did an incredible campaign, I am boyed on record investments in transit, and the spirit of the city embodied in post-secondary students wanting a return to UPASS program. Thanks for efforts of Matthieu Allard Mme. and Councillor Gilroy and others I look forward to the next debate: free transit at the point of use because three key structures towards that end are secured in this budget: Children Under twelve riding free, UPASS, and the LOW INCOME PASS.
I’m also excited about the Pedestrian cycling program, protected lane investments, pedestrian and cycling improvements; Osborne Pembina Corydon Donald Intersection is to be addressed. The investments in Osborne Street Underpass, while still off in the future, are in budget.
We should be a city build for the pedestrian environment bike and transit and speaker after speaker told us to spend less on roads for cars: Jakob, Carly, Tanjit, Kristin, Mbuli, and more wanted a sustainable choice.
I’m concerned for investments in the downtown; the downtown enhancement program, downtown and Exchange pedestrian facilities public Art integration SHED, continue among the priorities of a leaner downtown enhancement program. The women of downtown: Gilroy, Santos and I have more to do and produce for the downtown and shed districts.
Like all budgets, the multiyear budget that we are left with today, reflects the reality of much work that lies ahead.
More assurance is needed to comfort the people that came that these are lasting investments that will hold and grow. That is somewhat the purpose of democratic process.
We owe our democratic process to those that fought the hardest for us. Our veterans. The Military Field of Honour at Brookside gets a significant boost in budget.
Mme Speaker, we represent the voices of all the wards in the city. Together as a council, as a budgetary working group as a city we did look seriously and diligently at all sources of revenue and spending. We didn’t always agree. We may have focused on different issues but I think we heard loud and clear that people want to build community, see neighbourhood investments, and prioritize students, children in support of safer more sustainable communities.
In terms of sustainability, over the week-end just as I was thinking I couldn’t write my colleague, the Chair of Finance with one, more, financial ask. I braced myself and considered with him what was on the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic risk list in terms of Emergency Preparedness. Little did I know, Councillor Gillingham had also considered the same risk list. Two new FTEs are being considered for Emergency Management. I am grateful that Councillor Gillingham and I get to work together.
So to him, through you Mme Speaker, want to recognize his leadership. The multi-year budget is an important structural reform. Many structural solutions have been created that we as a city can feel confident in.
I want to thank all the civil servants that assisted us with budget. The whole finance team for their efforts, once more for your work, your passion, your efforts culminating to today Mme. Speaker, through you, I thank them.
Every day I am humbled I get to serve the city I love in this manner.