The City of Winnipeg’s 2025 budget will go to a city council vote Wednesday.
Among the items in the preliminary budget is a tax hike of almost six per cent, which is expected to raise taxes by $121 for a typical house assessed at $371,000.
Despite the increase, much of the concern from the public surrounded a now-abandoned snow-clearing measure.
“I held two budget consultations in the Waverley West ward, and [the tax increase] wasn’t the pushback,” Coun. Janice Lukes told Global Winnipeg.
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“People were curious, they had questions, they wanted a better understanding, [but] they were more worried about snow than the tax increase.”
The city intended to launch a pilot project, increasing the snow-clearing threshold — but due to public backlash, it has since been axed.
Mayor Scott Gillingham says it’s all part of the open and transparent process of municipal budgets, which give residents an opportunity to provide feedback.
“Provincial …