Winnipeg councillor wants budget vote delayed saying document lacks transparency

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    Councillor Sherri Rollins called for the municipal budget to be held over for a month, saying it lacks transparency and accountability. Neve Van Pelt reports.

    By News Staff

    A Winnipeg city councillor has called for the municipal budget to be held over for a month, saying it lacks transparency and accountability and isn’t serving the public. 

    While the majority of councillors, including Mayor Scott Gillingham, say the budget addresses the priorities of Winnipeggers – increasing public safety and improving road infrastructure – some at City Hall say the document falls far short. 

    At a special meeting of City Council Wednesday, Sherri Rollins, councillor for the Fort-Rouge–East Fort Garry Ward, claims there’s not enough information on potential changes to the city’s water and waste rates, speculative revenues and more than $51 million in unspecified savings, saying she’ll be voting against the budget. 

    “Withholding critical information about water and waste rates is a breach of public trust and that is a serious thing to say,” said Rollins, noting many Winnipeggers are skeptical about the 5.95 per cent property tax increase proposed already. 

    “We should honour their concerns today, honour their concerns with more information,” she said. “Not less.” 

    Rollins, who recently left her seat on Executive Policy Committee (EPC),  put forward a motion to delay budget proceedings on the lack of information around the waste and water rates alone. It was defeated 11-5.

    Rollins went on to detail her concerns about speculative revenue from a planned 911 levy, alongside concerns around the $51.1 million in savings expected to come from cost-cutting measures. 

    “We’re asking Winnipeggers to accept higher taxes and new fees, but in return, they deserve honesty, transparency and fiscal responsibility. This budget provides none of those,” she said. 

    Winnipeg city council meeting in session at City Hall Jan. 29, 2025. (Cliff Simpson, CityNews)

    As budget debate continued at City Hall, Rollins was not the only councillor who said she wouldn’t be putting her support behind the document. 

    Calling it a “very sad day” as he hasn’t voted against a budget since 2011, St. Vital city councillor Brian Mayes says he’s felt left out and excluded from the current process, with requests for information from other councillors and the mayor’s office mostly going unanswered. 

    “The criticism is with the process,” said Mayes, who also left EPC. 

    “Where if no one reaches out to you and no one gets back to you then why would you then vote for the product? Because then, the people who pass it know then they have no need to ever consult with you in the future. It’s not really about me, it’s about having some respect of people of St. Vital frankly and respect for certain issues.” 

    Saying he wants to know what information, if any, has ever been denied to a city councillor, Mayor Gillingham says it’s common for the city to discuss water and rates separately from the budget, and the call to delay the process for a month from Coun. Rollins is “a little surprising.” 

    “The councillor who brought forward the motion was directly involved in regular meetings on the budget since September … and the first I’ve heard of this was the first 48 hours ago, when she stepped off of EPC. So I find it somewhat insincere.” 

    Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says the budget is one that addresses the priorities of people in the city and called Coun. Rollins’ concerns around transparency insincere. (Cliff Simpson, CityNews)

    Mayor Gillingham also addressed the remarks by Coun. Mayes, agreeing the debate has been elevated, saying: “He’s led the elevation in the debate,” adding he’d like to see things cooled. 

    “I would welcome a toning down of the rhetoric that may be divisive,” said Gillingham. “And I look for councillor Mayes to lead that.” 

    Gillingham says since the two councillors left EPC he has told them he wants to work with them as a council as budget discussions continue, with another meeting set for Thursday.

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