A Balanced, Affordable Winnipeg
The Issue: Winnipeg is Becoming Unaffordable
We, the residents and taxpayers of Winnipeg, demand immediate, structural action to lower the cost of living and restore financial accountability to City Hall. Local families are being financially suffocated by a compounding cost-of-living crisis. Under the current administration, property taxes jumped by a staggering 5.95% in 2025—the highest single-year tax hike our city has seen since 1990, breaking a fundamental campaign promise to cap increases at 3.5%.
Worse, while local households struggled to pay their bills, the City's Water and Waste Utility quietly generated an unexpected $79 million surplus. Instead of using this windfall to provide direct utility relief to residents, City Hall continues to force through higher water volume rates ($2.17 per cubic metre) and sewer volume rates ($4.53 per cubic metre). Between escalating utility bills, expanding waste fees, and climbing Manitoba Hydro rates, basic survival in our city is becoming a luxury.
Why the Fight Continues: From Campaign to Watchdog
The municipal election is over, but our fight for an affordable Winnipeg is just beginning. Tonight’s results do not erase the economic reality facing thousands of regular citizens. During the campaign, thousands of Winnipeggers signed our petition to reverse these aggressive hikes, establishing a clear, undeniable public mandate for fiscal responsibility. The city administration cannot be allowed to ignore the public or continue its current tax-and-spend trajectory without strict accountability.
Because City Hall continues to bypass the needs of ordinary working people, we are transforming our campaign into a permanent, structured grassroots watchdog movement. We are mobilizing to build sustained public pressure on city leadership. If every resident who stands for affordability joins this movement and mobilizes their neighborhood, City Hall will have no choice but to listen. Together, we will stand up for a fair, transparent, and affordable Winnipeg.
Our Demands: A Blueprint for an Affordable, Safe, and Developed Winnipeg
We call on the Mayor and City Council to manage municipal revenues smartly—without introducing new taxes—by prioritizing the following six pillars:
Immediate Property Tax & Utility ReliefThe Reality: The city's current budget trajectory forces a 3.5% property tax hike on residents to generate an additional $28 million in revenue, while multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects like the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) place immense long-term debt pressures on our utility systems.
The Demand: City Hall must launch an independent, line-by-line audit of the city’s $1.49 billion operating budget to find internal efficiencies and eliminate government waste, entirely offsetting the need for the $28 million tax increase. Furthermore, the city must freeze and restructure the hidden "utility dividend"—the practice of transferring millions from water bills directly into general city spending—to keep basic utilities permanently affordable.
A Permanent Crackdown on Retail Theft & ShopliftingThe Reality: Core business communities and commercial corridors like Portage Avenue face intense, unsustainable pressure from retail theft. While targeted Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) initiatives have successfully arrested prolific offenders, local shop owners are still bearing the devastating financial and physical safety brunt of brazen daytime shoplifting.
The Demand: Restore law and order by permanently expanding proactive retail theft operations. The administration must partner directly with the business community to establish a visible, dedicated police and community safety presence in high-theft commercial areas. Shoplifting must be treated with zero tolerance to protect local jobs and keep neighborhood businesses safe.
Compassionate Homelessness & Shelter SolutionsThe Reality: Winnipeg is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with thousands of individuals living without stable housing. Extreme winter windchills and intense summer heatwaves create dangerous, life-threatening conditions for unsheltered individuals, putting immense pressure on emergency responders and public spaces.
The Demand: Tackle homelessness with a proactive approach that prioritizes human dignity and community safety. By leveraging federal housing funds and working directly with local service providers, the city must rapidly expand emergency shelter spaces, transitional housing, and accessible food security programs. Temporary encampments must be replaced with structured pathways to permanent housing, mental health supports, and addiction treatment.
Rapid Transit Expansion & Real Road AccountabilityThe Reality: While Winnipeg has budgeted $156.8 million for street improvements, public transit commuters remain stuck in traffic bottlenecks. The city spends $7 million just on preliminary designs for downtown corridors, yet zero construction funding is secured to actually build out the comprehensive, multi-line rapid transit network promised in the long-term Transit Master Plan.
The Demand: Stop treating rapid transit like a distant 25-year fantasy. The city must implement strict contractor oversight on the existing $156.8 million roadwork pool to eliminate endless construction delays and cost overruns. Simultaneously, City Hall must aggressively lobby provincial and federal infrastructure funds to get shovels in the ground for fully separated transit lanes, making commutes fast, reliable, and independent of gridlock.
Urban Canopy Protection: The Million Tree Action PlanThe Reality: Winnipeg’s iconic tree canopy is in a full-blown crisis due to severe storms, Dutch elm disease, and the emerald ash borer. The city has historically struggled to plant more than a few thousand trees annually, leaving urban neighborhoods highly vulnerable to severe summer heatwaves and the intensifying effects of climate change.
The Demand: To build a climate-resilient city, City Hall must launch a proactive Million Tree Action Plan. The city must expand partnerships with local conservation organizations and utilize provincial strategic infrastructure grants to radically upscale tree planting on public boulevards, parks, and residential zones. Planting one million trees will significantly lower local neighborhood temperatures during dangerous heatwaves, cut residential cooling costs, and anchor Winnipeg’s defense against climate change.
Real Safety & Police Budget AccountabilityThe Reality: Winnipeg’s police service operations approach $370 million, consistently making up the single largest component of municipal service spending. Despite this massive budget, the city relies heavily on a $7 million "expenditure management" savings target built into the numbers to force an artificial fiscal balance.
The Demand: Ensure absolute financial accountability within this $370 million framework by cutting administrative waste and redirecting internal funds into frontline, community-led safety. The city must invest directly in specialized community safety officers, proactive mental health crisis response teams, and grassroots neighborhood crime prevention so every community feels secure.
Our Grassroots Action Plan to Force Implementation
We are not just asking for change; we are organizing to demand it. To ensure City Hall can no longer ignore these demands, we are launching an aggressive, multi-phase community action plan powered by Winnipeg residents:
Community Delegations at City Council: Once we hit key milestone signature numbers, our leadership team alongside community members will formally register as delegations at City Hall during Executive Policy Committee (EPC) and full City Council budget hearings to place these demands directly into the official public record.
Neighborhood Accountability Networks: We are establishing volunteer-led committees across Winnipeg's wards—from Transcona to St. James—to coordinate local flyer drops, keep residents informed on upcoming municipal votes, and ensure city councillors know exactly where their constituents stand.
Town Halls & Public Forums: We will host open community town halls to break down the municipal budget, track the city's infrastructure spending, and provide a platform for ordinary citizens to voice their concerns directly to local media and invited city officials.
Strategic Advocacy: We will actively present our data-driven strategies for utility reform and budget restructuring to provincial and federal oversight bodies to ensure Winnipeg residents get the fair treatment they deserve