'Its disappointing': Manitoba municipalities say new provincial funding doesn’t go far enough

Premier Wab Kinew speaks at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) fall convention in Winnipeg on Nov. 25, 2024. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

The Province of Manitoba is beefing up its funding to municipalities strapped for cash, but some of those municipalities say it doesn’t go far enough.

As municipal leaders from across the province met Monday for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) fall convention, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced more cash is on the way.

“We've all heard the calls from municipal leaders in the City of Winnipeg and other places who are asking for more help, and that's what we're delivering here today,” Kinew said.

The province is announcing a new ‘One Manitoba Growth Revenue Fund,’ which will see $62 million over the next five years up for grabs. The funding will be allocated to municipalities on a per capita basis beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.

“Right now, its disappointing as far as we’re concerned,” said Garth Asham, a councillor in the rural municipality of Portage la Prairie.

Asham said municipalities are struggling to keep up.

“Infrastructure is a huge, huge investment, and we’ve ignored it for far too long. I think we have to do a better job of looking after our roads, our sewers, everything,” he said.

But to do that, Asham said the province needs to provide more funding to municipalities.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he was pleased to see some extra cash as the city, along with other municipalities in the province, is in the process of putting its budget together.

However, Gillingham noted this funding from the province isn’t exactly what he was looking for.

“It does not solve our longer-term structural issues within our budgets as municipalities, and I don’t think it’s the growth framework we were looking for,” he said, adding the conversations need to continue.

Gillingham said municipalities need a growth-oriented framework that’s tied to the economy. He said municipalities are still waiting for the details of the funding announced by the province Monday.