For all the new money the city of Winnipeg is getting from senior levels of governments, there sure is a lot of whining going on at city hall these days. The city has long been calling for a greater share of tax revenues from the province and the federal government to help pay for road repair and other growing infrastructure costs.
And by and large, they're now getting it — at least $24 million in new money this year alone, which will grow to no less than $52 million by 2010.
Despite that, the usual suspects at city hall are still calling for a property-tax increase, including — no surprise — CUPE Local 500 president Mike Davidson.
"We can't continue to have tax freezes if we expect our infrastructure to improve," Davidson said this week.
Actually, we can.
That's because the city is getting far more money from the senior levels of government than it was during the so-called new deal debate in 2003.
For starters, the city is getting $7 million a year in new federal money through the GST rebate announced last year.
That's money saved from the bottom lines of most city departments.
In addition, the city is expected to receive between $11 and $13 million in gas tax revenue from Ottawa this year.
That will grow to a projected $39 million a year by 2010.
That's a lot of cash.
It's enough to pay for the city's entire planning, property and development department.
The province has also kicked in some new money — three cents a litre of fuel tax announced in last week's provincial budget they say will provide the city with $11 million in new money.
City hall sources say it's more like $6 million.
Whatever the case, the city has at least $24 million in new money from senior levels of government this year.
But that's not all the new money city hall has to play with.
The city is projecting an $8-million increase in property tax revenues for 2005 and an extra $1 million in electricity tax revenue.
Because the city has been reducing its debt, it will also save $2 million in debt-servicing costs this year.
All told, there's at least $35 million in new money to pay for streets, parks and community centres in 2005.
And don't think there are no tax increases in the 2005 budget, either — which will add more money to the bottom line.
If you're on the Tax Instalment Payment Plan — like me — the city is dinging you with a new $6 a year "administrative" charge, which will raise $200,000.
There's a new "development fee" which will generate $600,000 in new cash.
Then there's the "temporary" surcharge on development applications to supposedly pay for a review of the zoning bylaws, another $200,000.
I remember the "temporary" income tax the federal government brought in to help fund the First World War.
It's a myth — now more than ever — that the city is starving for cash.
The real question is how they're spending it.
If city hall can't pay for basic frontline services with a $24-million increase in federal and provincial funding — which will more than double over the next five years — they've got some serious problems.
There's really nothing for city hall to whine about.