Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman put the city’s MLAs on notice at his State of the City address, calling on them to help push the province to make good on its commitments for municipal street repairs.
The mayor is locked in a funding dispute with Premier Brian Pallister and his ministers, demanding the province pay $40 million outstanding for the 2018 allotment of the Manitoba roads agreement. The city has spent the funds, for 2018’s construction projects.
On Friday, Bowman used his State of the City luncheon address before a sold-out Convention Centre hall to send the message to Broadway – plopping it on the desks of all MLAs elected within Winnipeg’s boundaries.
“For MLAs in the room or listening today, it’s time to put political party interests second and the people you serve here in Winnipeg first,” Bowman said at the March 15 event.
The call echoes communications from the MHCA to Winnipeg MLAs, as well as to city councillors, seeking the joint political effort to pressure the provincial government to make good on its commitments, to transfer the $40-million owed to Winnipeg and to sign a new, five-year roads agreement with the city.
The provincial government insists it fully paid all commitments under the funding agreement. It has also said that it cannot be held to roads funding deals initiated by a previous provincial government.