Letter — Why this budget matters for Brandon’s future

It’s budget time at the City of Brandon. Unfortunately, the public discussion of the city’s budget often gets reduced to a single number — what’s the percentage increase?

At one level, this is understandable. But budgets are really about priorities. So, I wanted to take a moment to communicate directly with you, as your mayor, about the budget choices I’ve supported and the ones I will support in this upcoming budget.

First and foremost, know that I respect your tax dollars and approach all city spending with the reverence it deserves. Even when difficult decisions are necessary, we need to keep the ability of Brandonites to pay in mind.

Tax increases in the past couple of years have been more elevated than previously. There’s a reason for that — for too long, the investments Brandon needed simply weren’t made.

Critical infrastructure was patched instead of repaired. Growth sometimes outpaced planning. Costs were deferred to “next year,” and then the year after that. Eventually, the bill comes due — and some might argue; we’re paying that price today.

Let’s walk through a couple of examples.

There have been significant investments made in the water treatment plant. Clean, safe drinking water is a mainstay of the City of Brandon. Unfortunately, the water treatment plant had become antiquated. Council needed to swallow hard to allocate the resources (Phase 2 alone is more than $130 million), but safe drinking water for now and the future is non-negotiable from my perspective.

Similarly, investments in wastewater treatment are crucial; without them, we couldn’t continue building homes, flushing toilets or providing reliable and safe services. Thanks to these improvements, we are enabling the development of new homes, schools and commercial areas. Without them, growth would have come to a halt. That growth is also critical to building the vibrant city we need to be.

These two represent core municipal services. For me as mayor, it is important not to lose sight of that. While there are many things we could do and might want to do, our core municipal responsibilities must come first.

When I ran for mayor, I heard a lot from residents about the need to improve recreation. We had gone for a decade without soccer fields! Canada’s fastest-growing sport and a sport that has long been a top sport for people coming from around the world to carve out a new life in Brandon. Finishing the job on our outdoor fields was important to me, and I’m glad to see Canada Packers Fields up and running.

Our Sportsplex needs attention, too. Residents made it clear to me that they wanted to see ice back in the Sportsplex, so we delivered.

The 2027 budget proposals will include a new outdoor pool. I support this. Details on options still need to be ironed out, but there is little question in my mind we need to add another pool.

Roads are another core service. Day in and out, staff work to maintain roadways, but also upgrades and enhancements, new roundabouts and upgrades on 26th Street, just to name a few.

These all represent capital assets from which the city and its residents can derive current and future value. They are indeed investments.

I also get asked, quite fairly, “but Jeff, what are you doing to control spending?” This is also a fair question.

I think it’s fair to say that the city does need to take a sharp eye to its operational spending. Our new city manager is an experienced municipal administrator, and I believe he understands the imperative.

There have been significant increases in operational spending on public safety. There is no question we have more to do to make Brandon safe in all areas for all people. The police are part of this equation.

But we also need to ensure spending is targeting items that enhance safety in a material way. I look to our police board and executive to help with the refocusing that’s needed.

We know that wages are a large portion of the city budget. I am mindful that wages for public sector employees are tax dollars paid by grocery store clerks, industrial meat cutters and the cooks in restaurants to fund these salaries. As such, we need to be responsible and keep operating costs reasonable.

We have also looked for alternative sources of revenue to help limit tax increases. We have built a solid relationship with the provincial government. We have helped them understand our situation. This week, Premier Wab Kinew announced $1 million in funding to support three important projects in our city, that otherwise the city would have had to pay for. This has helped us limit the tax increase by almost two per cent. We are thankful to Premier Kinew and his cabinet, and we are keen to keep working in partnership to move Manitoba forward.

I believe this upcoming budget is built with intention. It reflects a commitment to transparency, accountability and long-term thinking. It reflects a belief that Brandon needs infrastructure that’s reliable, services that are strong and planning that looks beyond the next 12 months or four years.

Most importantly, it reflects a partnership with you, the residents who live, work and raise families here. You deserve a city that invests, acts responsibly and doesn’t kick problems down the road for your children and grandchildren.

We’re building a Brandon that’s ready for the future. And while the path forward requires investment, it also brings opportunities for growth, stability and for a community we can all continue to be proud of.

Thank you for your trust, patience, and your ongoing commitment to our city. Together, we’re shaping a stronger Brandon.

MAYOR JEFF FAWCETT

Brandon