City of Winnipeg Capital and Operating Budget

steveosnyder · #1 Posted **Jan 10, 2013, 9:03 PM**

Some people on this board seem to know a bit about Civic politics, so I figured I would ask the question: What are people's thoughts on the capital and operating budget that was released yesterday?

I for one am mad the City will be spending capital funds on a feedermain for Waverly West -- why are the developers not paying for this feedermain?

Biff · #2 Posted **Jan 10, 2013, 9:44 PM**

Just so people have easy access

http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/2013Budget.stm

bomberjet · #3 Posted **Jan 10, 2013, 11:02 PM**

I don't think there was anything in there that was too crazy or out of the blue. Starting to see the next phase of major projects for the city coming forth, speaking to transportation mostly.

Marion widening/grade separation they're calling it.
Louise Bridge replacement.
A bunch of bridge replacements over Sturgeon Creek/Omands Creek.
Southwest/Eastern Transitway.
Polo Park Traffic thing.
Waverley West debacle still ongoing.
Kenaston Widening still ongoing.

CoW also created a residential street reserve fund for the next 25 years to try and get more streets fixed.

8 librairies to be replaced by 2020, which was anounced recently.

Among others I'm forgetting at the moment.

cllew · #4 Posted **Jan 10, 2013, 11:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Some people on this board seem to know a bit about Civic politics, so I figured I would ask the question: What are people's thoughts on the capital and operating budget that was released yesterday?

I for one am mad the City will be spending capital funds on a feedermain for Waverly West -- why are the developers not paying for this feedermain?

Is the city paying for the feedermain on its own or just fronting it for the developers? It may not say that in the budget documents.

I am sure that I have read in development agreements that there are sewer and water charges to the developer paid to the city when the land is actually developed.

So this may be one of those things where the city will pay up front and get its money back over the next few years as the land gets built up.

Danny D Oh · #5 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 4:49 AM**

Our spending on the WPS is out of control. I know they are doing severe audits that the WPS are not in charge of, hopefully something comes out of that to make the WPS more efficient in 2014 and beyond. We've been spending more and more and more and really the results aren't any different. Some efficiency there could make a nice dent into our infrastructure issues. Like the American gun lobby says, the police show up after the crime happens, about the only thing I agree with them on.

I know the mayor wants to shift to "consumption taxes" and away from a reliance on property taxes, but is property tax not a "consumption tax?" You own land in the city and consume services based on that land, which property taxes fund. Personally I have no issue with property taxes being raised, even with the obvious inefficiency of city departments, because our city is really starting to get to that tipping point where if the rabble rabble crowd that wants taxes frozen forever rules this city will be a dump. Sadly, that increase won't begin to address the infrastructure issue, hopefully we can tighten up the spending problems too.

Biff · #6 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 2:18 PM**

The problem is not our property taxes. Winnipeg actually has one of the lowest municipal property taxes in the country. What kills us year after year is the school taxes. They should be removed from our yearly municipal tax bill.

http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/imag...pertyTaxes.pdf

steveosnyder · #7 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

The problem is not our property taxes. Winnipeg actually has one of the lowest municipal property taxes in the country. What kills us year after year is the school taxes. They should be removed from our yearly municipal tax bill.

http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/imag...pertyTaxes.pdf

Join all the school districts within the City should save money. Why we need 6 for a city our size is beyond me. I think it dates back to the Unicity amalgamation.

steveosnyder · #8 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 3:21 PM**

I don't know if it was discussed anywhere else, but Pembina south of Jubilee will be getting a buffered bike path to McGillivray. Is that a part of the Rapid Transit budget, or will it be in addition to the active living portion of RT?

steveosnyder · #9 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 3:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Is the city paying for the feedermain on its own or just fronting it for the developers? It may not say that in the budget documents.

I am sure that I have read in development agreements that there are sewer and water charges to the developer paid to the city when the land is actually developed.

So this may be one of those things where the city will pay up front and get its money back over the next few years as the land gets built up.

These deals for the developers always seem to go the developers way... And I just saw on page 66 that the City will be paying back 3 million to a developer for work on the intersection of Bison and Waverley.

rypinion · #10 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 3:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I don't know if it was discussed anywhere else, but Pembina south of Jubilee will be getting a buffered bike path to McGillivray. Is that a part of the Rapid Transit budget, or will it be in addition to the active living portion of RT?

This is completed, is it not?

steveosnyder · #11 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rypinion

This is completed, is it not?

I don't know, it's been a while since I've biked in that area. But it's a line item for 2015 of 5 million, along with Southbound Pembina from Kirkbridge to Bairdmore getting an asphalt pathway.

steveosnyder · #12 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I don't think there was anything in there that was too crazy or out of the blue. Starting to see the next phase of major projects for the city coming forth, speaking to transportation mostly.

Marion widening/grade separation they're calling it.

Does this mean they will be going under/over the tracks at Archibald?

bomberjet · #13 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Does this mean they will be going under/over the tracks at Archibald?

Not sure. I'm going to speculate over, as there is that creek to the south/east. I guess we'll find out over the next year or two during the functional design.

But I thought the plan was to extend Goulet and connect Marion with Dugald. Then close the intersection of Marion and Lag. But now they're calling it Marion Widening. Maybe it's just a different name. Or the project is broken into parts.

rypinion · #14 Posted **Jan 11, 2013, 8:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I don't know, it's been a while since I've biked in that area. But it's a line item for 2015 of 5 million, along with Southbound Pembina from Kirkbridge to Bairdmore getting an asphalt pathway.

I believe there was construction on Pembina all fall reducing the centre median to make room for the bike lane on the east side. But that may not be the same as what you are talking about.

morty · #15 Posted **Jan 12, 2013, 4:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rypinion

I believe there was construction on Pembina all fall reducing the centre median to make room for the bike lane on the east side. But that may not be the same as what you are talking about.

They're only between Chevrier and Plaza so far. It looks like they're adding more whenever they repave sections of Pembina. It, unfortunately, does nothing about the truly dangerous parts for cyclists, which are the Jubilee underpass and the Bishop Grandin overpass.

I went to the open house for the Jubilee underpass last year, and the widening proposals (to add a third northbound lane) were all linked to the rapid transit bridge that will go between the two existing bridges. There is, however, no money for the widening in the Capital budget until after 2018. All these projects are linked together, it's a real shame that they aren't planned together.

bomberjet · #16 Posted **Jan 12, 2013, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by morty

They're only between Chevrier and Plaza so far. It looks like they're adding more whenever they repave sections of Pembina. It, unfortunately, does nothing about the truly dangerous parts for cyclists, which are the Jubilee underpass and the Bishop Grandin overpass.

I went to the open house for the Jubilee underpass last year, and the widening proposals (to add a third northbound lane) were all linked to the rapid transit bridge that will go between the two existing bridges. There is, however, no money for the widening in the Capital budget until after 2018. All these projects are linked together, it's a real shame that they aren't planned together.

I seen that too, about the $6M in funding for Jubilee underpass not until 2018. They have already put together about $20M in funding just for the underpass. Now working through the functional designs, there was a bit of sticker shock on the replacement costs.

If the Stage 2 of BRT is to be completed by 2018, I think the $6M in funding is to top off the final construction costs. Or it was an error because the city definitely is not waiting until 2018 to start work on the underpass. More like spring 2014 i'm thinking.

Those 2 AT bottlenecks will be solved during Stage 2 of BRT construction. Once the Bishop Grandin/Kenaston interchange is completed in 2014 and these projects are completed, there will be quite a nice network of AT in that area!