State of the city address

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This article was published 19/04/2024 (876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Brandon has shelved the idea of a drainage levy for the time being, Mayor Jeff Fawcett said during his state of the city address in front of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

“With everything else going on, it is not something we’re probably doing right now,” Fawcett told the Sun after his speech. “But it is something that in the future we’ll have to get looked at, maybe once we get a sustainable tax rate.”

When accounting firm MNP issued a financial sustainability report last year, it had several suggestions on how the city could increase revenue.

One of those suggestions was to implement higher tax increases, which the city followed up with when it passed the 2024 budget with a 9.4 per cent property tax increase. Another suggestion was to implement drainage fees as a contribution toward drainage infrastructure and maintenance costs.

At a March Brandon City Council meeting, council heard a presentation outlining how such a levy would work. It would have been charged to all property owners and based on the amount of impervious surfaces on a given property through which water cannot drain.

The average property owner would have seen an annual $140 charge, though larger properties, especially commercial ones, would have seen higher charges.

Chamber president Lois Ruston told the Sun that she thought the move was the right one.

“We were certainly doing some work behind the scenes,” Ruston said. “We’ll continue to try to be partners and collaborators in finding a way that makes sense for the city to achieve the funding that it requires, but that wasn’t it.”

Addressing this year’s tax hike, the mayor said he understood the apprehension surrounding it but argued that it was necessary.

“While no one enjoys paying more, it is essential to recognize that property taxes fund critical services, infrastructure and social programs that benefit all of us and recognizing that without embracing difficult and sometimes uncomfortable decisions when progress calls,” Fawcett said.

“Growth and change are inherently uncomfortable, yet it’s in these moments that transformation occurs. While this tax hike is causing initial discomfort, responsible fiscal management ensures a sustainable and thriving community for all.”

He referenced the city’s new four-year budgeting process, saying it will provide Brandon with the foresight to plan ahead and that hard choices can be made while seeing their long-term impact.

By doing so, Fawcett said it will set the city up to better engage with the provincial and federal governments and help them to integrate Brandon’s infrastructure plans into their own budgets.

After the speech, Ruston lobbed Fawcett a few questions on behalf of chamber members, including how the city was going to diversify its revenue streams so that it’s not as reliant on taxpayers for income going forward.

With provincial Finance Minister Adrien Sala in the room, Fawcett asked higher levels of government for their help in making Brandon financially sustainable.

He also said the city is looking at other revenue sources, including increasing development cost charges. Fawcett told the Sun it was his understanding was that a proposal on increases to the charges would be coming to council shortly.

Other initiatives Fawcett discussed included ongoing upgrades to the water treatment plant and the southwest lift station program, along with the $43-million low-interest loan the Canada Infrastructure Bank is providing to save the city on interest fees.

He also spoke of the $10 million in upgrades to the Brandon Municipal Airport’s runway, the expansion of the Brandon Community Cadet program, the expedited purchase of a Brandon Transit bus, upcoming public consultations on the future of Brandon Transit, the transitional housing project on 16th Street North, the Maple Leaf Foods Sports Complex under construction, the new paramedics and ambulance announced for Brandon last fall, work to improve downtown Brandon and the city’s partnerships with Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College.

That downtown work includes a community safety and well-being plan, which Fawcett called an “exciting and long overdue project.”

With Waywayseecappo First Nation Chief Murray Clearsky and Long Plain First Nation Chief David Meeches in attendance, along with a representative from the Manitoba Métis Federation, Fawcett spoke of Brandon’s partnerships with First Nations, including the recent purchase of Brandon’s old Greyhound bus station by Wuskwi Siphik First Nation, which intends to create bus service to northern Manitoba.

Ruston said the four booth sponsors at the event were the most for a luncheon in the chamber’s history.

The event served as the chamber’s official launch for the Leadership Brandon program, with attendees being shown a video about the program and its goals. Overall attendance on Thursday was around 440 people.

As the luncheon’s sponsor, Brandon First sent executive director Jenn Watson to the podium to speak about the organization’s recent activities and projects.

That included the screening of a promotional video the organization created to attract sports events to the city, referencing Brandon’s history hosting tournaments like the 2023 U15 Canadian Fast Pitch Championships and the 2019 Brier.

According to Watson, the softball tournament had a $1.1-million economic impact on Brandon and the area.

Next month’s luncheon will feature Premier Wab Kinew’s first state of the province address to Brandon Chamber members since last year’s provincial election.

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