WINNIPEG -- Leaders from the Winnipeg arts and business community came to city hall Wednesday to make a pitch for investment, in the face of proposed budget cuts.

“Does Winnipeg want to take the place of dead last when it comes to investing in its urban core,” said executive director of the Exchange District Biz Zone David Pensato.

Pensato and Downtown Biz Zone CEO Kate Fenske addressed the planning and development committee, voicing concern about a cut to a parking grant and the Downtown Enhancement Program. The program is being scaled back from $330,000 this year, down to zero in 2020 and 2021, then back up to $100,000 in 2022.

Fenske said a reduction will hurt growth. 

“We’re growing to a million people and we’re trying to recruit new people and they’re looking to have a vibrant urban core.”

Concerns about maintaining a “vibrant urban core” were also brought up by the Winnipeg Arts Council. The city is planning on shaving the WAC’s grant by around half a million dollars, from $4.6 million in 2019 down to $4.1 million this year. 

“Not only are new projects not possible, how are we going to maintain the beauty of (current) works” said WAC board chair Jason Granger. 

Waverley West councilor Janice Lukes raised questions about spending the bulk of the budget on roads, saying some of that money should go towards downtown projects. 

“The growth over the last four years has superseded any expectations planners had put out, and we’re continuing to grow,” said Lukes. “Out of large cities in Canada, we invest the lowest amount in planning and what happens is it costs (the city) in the long run.”

Lukes also praised Biz Zones Wednesday. 

“The Biz Zones do a phenomenal job delivering really what almost are city services. They have more opportunity to leverage money, they’re more fluid, they can make decisions sooner, they’re not caught up in a lot of bureaucracy. They are a huge asset to the city.” 

St. Vital councilor Brian Mayes, who chairs the committee, said crafting a budget requires compromise. 

“It’s easy to come down here and say spend more and tax less on me. If we listened to that we could be charging more on the property tax.”

The final say will come March 25, when council votes on the budget.