MAYOR Sam Katz said yesterday he is committed to cutting the city's multi-million dollar consulting budget even though he has hired three consulting firms to help his new transit task force

A three-person task force composed of three city councillors will spend about half its $220,000 budget on consultants who will help the task force decide what form of rapid transit best suits Winnipeg.

McGowan Russell Group, a local firm, will coordinate the task force's activities and IBI Group will provide technical support. IBI has offices worldwide and focuses on urban and transportation issues.

BDO Corporate Finance will provide financial and cost-benefit analysis.

Couns. Russ Wyatt, Jenny Gerbasi and Mike Pagtakhan make up the transit task force, along with a six-person advisory committee.

Critics have said the task force and the consultants are re-creating the research already done that favours the now-dead bus rapid transit proposal. That was killed in September by Katz, who favours a rail-based system.

Katz defended the decision to hire the consultants, saying city staff don't always have time to do in-depth research.

"if you want to get something done within a time period — as you know the task force set a deadline for June — and then you try and go in-house, quite often you will be told they don't have the time or the resources," said Katz.

Wyatt said the task force met for the first time yesterday and has an aggressive schedule ahead if it is to meet its June deadline.

Coun. Donald Benham said he could not find fault with the consultants since he hopes the city will solicit the best advice possible.

But he said experts have studied the city's transit system and have concluded light rail is too expensive and inflexible for Winnipeg.

"We're reinventing the wheel," he said.

A report listing each department's consulting budget will be discussed at tomorrow's executive policy committee meeting.

So far this year, the city has spent $38 million on consultants. The water and waste department spends by far the most of $31 million for engineering or construction experts such as SNC-Lavalin.

According to the report, the city has hired dozens of consultants to do legal work and training as well as to provide advertising, medical and computer expertise.