Winnipeg city council passed the 2017 budget, but it was a bumpy ride getting to final approval.
The budget, now official because of an 11-5 vote, has no new user fees, no frontage levy increase or cuts to services. It also includes $105 million for street repairs, a record amount said Mayor Brian Bowman.
"This proposed budget is building a better and a stronger Winnipeg,” he said.
But critics said that despite a 2 per cent property tax hike dedicated to streets, the road budget is flat and they are calling it a “shell game”.
"You don't decrease investment in your number one priority year over year,” Councillor Jeff Browaty said.
The debate set off heated exchanges in the council chamber prior to the vote.
Councillor Ross Eadie accused the Mayor’s inner circle of lying, and then retracted the remarks when pressured by the speaker.
Marty Morantz alleged Russ Wyatt partnered with construction lobbyists who ran attack ads against the mayor.
Interrupting Morantz, Wyatt began to shout.
" He wants to make the allegation I'm going to swear there was no coordination between myself and I reject the implication,” Wyatt said.
In addition, Morantz went after Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce President Loren Remillard for questioning the math in the road budget.
"I would expect that if you're going to comment on our budget you should know what the funding sources are for the reserve,” Morantz said.
Remillard fired back.
"I find it offensive that there would be an insinuation that I should know more than the 16 of you,” Remillard said.
In the end Mayor Bowman said critics are simply twisting the facts and that's what lead to the hostile tone by some of his council allies.
"There were members of council that took issue with the misrepresentation of the historic funding for the roads budget,” Bowman said.
In a last ditch effort to put more money in the street renewal program, Councillors Wyatt and Eadie called for another 2 per cent property tax hike that council rejected.
