Take Back City Hall – A Balanced, Affordable Winnipeg
The Issue: Winnipeg is Becoming Unaffordable
We, the residents of Winnipeg, demand immediate action to lower the cost of living. Under Mayor Scott Gillingham, property taxes jumped by a massive 5.95% in 2025—the highest single-year tax hike our city has seen since 1990. This broke a fundamental campaign promise to cap increases at 3.5%.

Worse, while local families struggled to pay their bills, the City's Water and Waste Utility quietly brought in an unexpected $79 million surplus in 2025. Instead of using this windfall to lower utility rates for 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 hiked utility bills, expanding waste fees, and climbing Manitoba Hydro rates, local households are being financially suffocated.

Why I Am Running for Mayor
Thousands of you signed my online petition to reverse these hikes, giving our community a clear mandate for change. However, the current city administration completely ignored us, refusing to alter their course on property taxes or basic utilities.

Because City Hall refuses to listen to ordinary people, I am running for Mayor of Winnipeg. I am asking for your support to bring real change. If every person who signed our petition convinces just 15 neighbors to vote for affordability, we will win. Together, we can take City Hall back.

My Plan: Affordable, Safe, and Developed Winnipeg
As your mayor, I will manage our city revenue smartly without introducing new taxes. My administration will focus on six key pillars:

1. Immediate Property Tax & Utility Relief
The Reality: The city's current budget forces a 3.5% property tax hike on residents, aiming to generate an additional $28 million in revenue. At the same time, massive multi-billion-dollar sewer treatment infrastructure projects like the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) are putting long-term debt pressures on our utility systems.
The Strategy: We will launch a line-by-line audit of the city’s $1.49 billion operating budget to find internal efficiencies and eliminate government waste, offsetting the need for the $28 million tax increase. We will also freeze and restructure the hidden "utility dividend"—the practice of transferring millions from your water bills directly into general city spending—to keep your basic utilities permanently affordable.
2. Crackdown on Retail Theft & Shoplifting
The Reality: Business communities and corridors like Portage Avenue face intense pressure from retail theft. While targeted Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) initiatives have successfully arrested prolific offenders, local shop owners are still bearing the financial and physical safety brunt of brazen daytime shoplifting.
The Strategy: We will restore law and order by permanently expanding proactive retail theft operations. My administration will partner directly with the business community to establish visible, dedicated police and community safety presence in high-theft commercial areas. We will ensure shoplifting is treated with zero tolerance, protecting local jobs and keeping our neighborhood businesses safe.
3. Compassionate Homelessness & Shelter Solutions
The Reality: Winnipeg is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with more than 8,200 people living without stable housing. Dropping windchills in the winter and intense summer heatwaves create dangerous conditions for unsheltered individuals, putting immense pressure on emergency responders and public spaces.
The Strategy: We will 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, we will rapidly expand emergency shelter spaces, transitional housing, and accessible food security programs. We will replace temporary encampments with structured pathways to real housing, mental health supports, and addiction treatment.
4. Rapid Transit Expansion & Better Roads
The Reality: Right now, Winnipeg has budgeted $156.8 million for street improvements, but public transit commuters are stuck in traffic bottlenecks. While the city spends $7 million just on preliminary designs for downtown corridors, there is still zero construction funding secured to actually build out the comprehensive, multi-line rapid transit network promised in the long-term Transit Master Plan.
The Strategy: We will stop treating rapid transit like a distant 25-year fantasy. My administration will implement strict contractor oversight on the existing $156.8 million roadwork pool to eliminate endless delays, while aggressively prioritizing dedicated, rapid-transit corridors. We will actively lobby provincial and federal infrastructure funds to get shovels in the ground for fully separated transit lanes, making your commute fast, reliable, and independent of gridlock.
5. Urban Canopy: The Million Tree Action Plan
The Reality: Winnipeg’s 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 global warming.
The Strategy: To build a climate-resilient city, we will launch a proactive Million Tree Action Plan. We will expand partnerships with local conservation organizations and utilize provincial strategic infrastructure baskets 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.
6. Real Safety & Police Budget Accountability
The 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 artificial balance.
The Strategy: We will ensure absolute financial accountability within this $370 million framework by cutting administrative waste and redirecting internal funds into frontline, community-led safety. We will invest directly in specialized community safety officers, proactive mental health crisis response teams, and grassroots neighborhood crime prevention so every community feels secure.
Vote for Change. Vote Mazher Alam. Politicians who broke their affordability promises must be held accountable at the ballot box. Winnipeg deserves a leader who stands firmly with the public.

Let’s bring City Hall back to the people. Vote Mazher Alam for Mayor.