A new 911 fee is among the top fees in the City of Winnipeg's preliminary budget

A new monthly 911 fee, higher-than-usual increases for trash collection and transit, and the first hike in the hotel occupancy tax are aimed at holding the line on property tax increases in the City of Winnipeg's preliminary budget.

Fees will increase by an average of five percent in 2024, and another five percent in 2025 and 2.5 percent in each of the next two years.

The increases are needed to contain inflation after the COVID-19 pandemic, city officials told the city's executive policy committee Wednesday during the first public review of the preliminary budget.

The average homeowner in Winnipeg can expect to pay $69 more in property taxes this year as the city increases property taxes annually by 3.5 per cent. Frontage fees will remain flat, in line with Mayor Scott Gillingham's pledge to limit increases to one year.

Starting July 1, the city will add a $1 fee to each Winnipeg address's monthly phone bill to fund 911 service improvements. This change is subject to provincial approval.

The city is also asking police and fire paramedics to explore consolidating 911 call centers to improve efficiency.

Garbage collection fees will increase from $10.54 per household to $80 in 2024. The city also plans to introduce a new garbage collection fee for apartment buildings in 2025, starting at $46 per unit. A one-year delay would allow garbage collection in 2025. It's time for landlords to consider this change and how to pass it on to landlords.

Transit fares will increase by 10 cents each year, a big increase from the five-cent increase in previous years. The city will end the cost of the low-income Winnpass in 2024.

The housing tax will increase by one percentage point to six percent, and one percentage point will be allocated to general city improvement operations.

This is Gillingham's second budget as mayor and the first in the next four-year budget cycle.

The City of Winnipeg plans to spend $81 million more on services in 2024 than last year.

That's a 6.3 percent increase over 2023, while Winnipeg's inflation rate was 4.4 percent.

The city expects to spend $607 million on capital projects in 2023, up from $567 million.

After two years of budget deficits depleted the city's rainy day funds, finance officials predicted last year that the city would finish with a balanced budget. The last update before the release of the 2024 budget projected a deficit of $7.1 million for 2023.

The new budget leaves $18 million from the fiscal stabilization reserve.

The Winnipeg Police Service's budget will increase by $7 million to $333 million, while the fire paramedic budget will increase from $8 million to $234 million.

The city's road budget will decrease by $18 million to $138 million. A federally funded regional highway upgrade program ended last year.

The city's standing policy committees will hold public hearings on the budget in a series of meetings beginning March 1. The council will meet on March 20 to consider the budget.

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Winnipeg Budget 2024 Highlights

• Operating budget (city services spending): $1.36 billion, which is $81 million more than in 2023. This is an increase of 6.3%.
• Capital budget (tax-supported spending on infrastructure and equipment): $607 million, up $40 million from 2023.
• Property tax: Property tax has increased by 3.5 percent, the same as in 2023. The average homeowner will pay $69 more this year. That would bring in an additional $32 million to the city. The frontage fee will remain the same.
• Total estimated property taxes in 2024: $745 million.
• Accommodation (hotel) tax: One percentage point higher, the additional revenue goes into general city beautification revenue instead of all money going into the destination marketing reserve.
• Transit tariffs: Increase of 10 cents a year to the nickel every January 1 through 2027. Adult fares this year are $3.25.
• New monthly 911 payment: $1 per active phone line starting July 1st.
• Increase in water and sewer rates: 3.8 percent this year.
• Business tax: The indicator remains at 4.84 percent.
• The total payment will increase: Five percent with some exceptions.
• Waste disposal fee: $80 per household, up from $69.46 in 2023.
• Police budget: $333 million, up $7 million from 2023.
• Fire and paramedic budget: $234 million, up $8 million from 2023.
• .Road repair budget: $138 million, down $18 million from 2023.
• Snow removal budget: $41 million, up $5 million from 2023
• Restoration of St. Vital Bridge (Osborne to Dunkirk Crossing): $23 million this year to complete work started last year.
• CentrePort South Water and Sewer: $13 million.
• New Northwest Library: $5 million to build this year.
• Fiscal Stabilization Reserve (Rainy Day Fund): Ends in 2024 from $9 million to $18 million.