The release of the City of Winnipeg’s new Transportation Master Plan (TMP) reinforces MHCA’s position that the City needs to focus on growing the economy and generating revenue beyond property taxes.
Lorenc, who spoke in favour of the TMP, appeared before the City’s Standing Policy Committee on Public Works Thursday. He noted that the TMP lays out a reasonable vision for the future of transportation within the City, but linking investments in transportation to economic growth should have received higher profile in the report.
“Overall, this plan builds a solid foundation for the future by recognizing that a well-managed goods movement system is critical to Winnipeg’s economic future,” said Lorenc, in his submission to the committee.
“However – the $4.7 billion dollar price tag on the TMP can only be achieved by growing the economy since you cannot rely solely on property taxes to achieve this level of funding.”
Economic prosperity must be prioritized, Lorenc said, as the primary target of the TMP.
“To accomplish this, we must develop and consider a new funding model for the City, supported by revenue streams sufficient for the existing and projected investment needs,” he said.
Harness support for a New Fiscal Deal
A clear starting point is a joint economic growth strategy among civic, provincial, and federal governments to drive investment and generate needed revenue.
Lorenc said there’s a need to harness existing public support and press the provincial government to engage in these discussions. The City should explore new revenue sources, like replacing property taxes with municipal, personal and corporate income taxes, to fund both road repairs and trade corridor expansion.
Appoint a Chief Economic Development Officer
Lorenc notes the City also needs to appoint a Chief Economic Development Officer at the “C” Suite level to champion economic growth and coordinate City efforts.
This person, he said, should report to a Council committee charged with a similar mandate, while providing strategic advice to all of Council on opportunities to leverage growth.
“The above steps begin the long, hard work towards putting Winnipeg on a path towards economic growth, sustainable revenue generation and stronger service delivery capacity,” said Lorenc.
Read the full submission here.
