Key elements of the proposed civic budget are the Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg City Council's four-year budget plan calls for major changes to public transportation, swimming pools, splash pads and 911 services due to toll hikes.

Here are 10 options for the 2024 preliminary budget:

New transit routes, fares will increase

Winnipeg Transit service will be expanded over the next two years to the four suburbs of Winnipeg at a cost of $500,000 in 2024.

The new bus routes will connect Castlebury Meadows, Waterford Green, Aurora, Prairie Point and Sage Creek on the network in phases starting this year.

The expanded system coincides with a complete redesign of Winnipeg Transit's main line to a high-frequency, backbone and feeder model that will be fully implemented in 2025.

Along with the route changes, Winnipeg Transit fares will increase by 10 cents every year for four years. However, the WINNPass rate will be discontinued in 2024.

The end of Peggo?

Public transit users may one day be able to pay their fares with the tap of a debit or credit card, as the city plans to revamp its fare collection system.

Winnipeg Transit is being asked to review its fare structure, policies and technologies and report back with a new strategy to implement “modern fare collection technology.”

The goal is to improve the current Peggo card system, which has caused headaches for riders due to the time it takes to reload funds onto the card.

The city has earmarked $6.5 million to upgrade its automatic fare collection system in 2024.

Pool closures and new splash pads:

Under the current spending plan, three public pools and 20 wading pools will be closed, with the intention of replacing the aging recreation facilities with low-maintenance splash pads.

Happyland Outdoor Pool, Windsor Park Outdoor Pool and Eldon Ross Indoor Pool are all on the chopping block because the facilities are at the end of their useful lives, the city said.

Another 20 swimming pools will be removed or replaced due to their age and the cost of maintaining and maintaining the pools. Spray pads do not require a lifeguard to be on site.

The budget proposes spending $20 million to add new sprinkler surfaces to Winnaqua, Tyndall Park, Winnipeg South, Chalmers, Bruce Park, Beryl Watts, Norberry-Glenley, Keenleyside Park, Tuxedo and Riverview.

Monthly 911 Fees:

Winnipeg residents can expect to see a new charge on their phone bills this summer to cover 911 costs.

The City Council is proposing a $1 per month levy beginning July 1 to fund the costs of operating and upgrading the city's 911 system.

The charge applies to each active phone line associated with a Winnipeg address.

Telephone operators are expected to collect the fee and remit it to the city. Provincial regulatory approval will be required.

The city estimates that $7.5 million is raised annually.

Budget for growing trees:

Spending on Winnipeg's tree canopy is projected to increase by 45 per cent by 2027, increasing the city's forestry budget by about $11 million. The city's output strategy will initially focus on pruning, with plans to increase maintenance to achieve seven-year and 12-year pruning cycles.

The increased spending in 2026 and 2027 will allow the city to plant trees more quickly after plans and capacity increases in the interim.

Multi-Family Garbage Fee:

The city will begin charging a new multi-block fee for garbage disposal starting in 2025.

The fee is $46 per unit, with landlords expecting to pass the cost increase on to tenants.

In addition, garbage collection fees for single-family homes will increase from $10 to $80 per residence starting this year.

The City Council also mandates a review of the solid waste rate structure and proposes a model that allows for cost recovery, waste disposal and composting.

Library Funding:

About $6 million has been allocated to launch a new library in northwest Winnipeg and to improve library hours and security.

$4.7 million of the new spending is for a new branch in a growing area of ​​the city, something previously postponed.

The library is expected to open in leased space in the Garden City neighborhood and offer universal access to the full range of library services and programs.

The city still needs to get an estimate before construction can begin.

Snow removal will increase:

Winnipeg's snow removal budget will increase to $52 million by 2027, but don't expect any change in service levels.

The city is proposing a $3 million increase to its snow removal budget — the first in years — to better reflect what the city actually spends to clear streets and sidewalks of snow and ice.

The city has consistently overspent its snow removal budget over the past two decades, municipal finance officials say.

The budget does not include changes to the city's snow removal policy.

Business tax suspension:

The city has frozen the business tax rate at 4.84 percent this year, the same rate it will receive in 2023.

The budget also proposes that the city keep the small business tax credit at $47,500. It credits “all municipal business taxes owed to taxable businesses” that occupy properties with an annual rental value of $47,500 or less, according to budget documents.

The tax will generate $60 million in revenue for the city.

Polygon expansion:

The city is building $38.7 million more dumping capacity at the Brady Road Landfill.

The existing cameras at the dump have “little or no capacity,” according to the city. A six-year expansion plan calls for new cells to be built on the south side of the facility.

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