The new chair of Winnipeg city council?s finance committee said he sees no recourse other than to raise property taxes next year.
Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) said every organization, government or business, is dealing with inflationary pressures.
However, Wyatt added that city council must also make the effort to find dollars.
?If we?re raising taxes, I think it?s incumbent on us to find savings,? said Wyatt, adding the increase hasn?t yet been determined nor approved.
?We have to find efficiencies.?
Homeowners had 14 years of a property tax freeze before a hike of 3.5 per cent earlier this year.
As of Sept. 30, the city of Winnipeg had an estimated surplus of about $7.7 million, but Wyatt cautioned against counting on that money, since two or three major snowfalls could eat up that cash.
The finance committee, which also includes Coun. Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge) and Coun. Grant Nordman (St. Charles), also approved just over $600,000 to go towards the forecasted over-expenditure of the Winnipeg Police Service?s overtime budget.
Originally, the request was for $1.27 million, but the police were able to find $630,000 internally, said Wyatt.
A City report pointed to ?traffic enforcement required to maintain traffic safety? and court obligations are the reasons for the extra overtime.
Wyatt said that ideally, there would be cadets doing some of that traffic enforcement, but that ?would require, though, a change in provincial legislation for them to do that enforcement.?
On Friday, the finance committee held an emergency meeting where $500,000 was approved for the land-deals audits: $250,000 for the audit of the so-called land swap deal, where three City properties were to be swapped for the Shindico-owned Taylor Avenue land where fire station No. 12 is now located, while the other $250,000 was approved for the audit of land deals going back up to 12 years.
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