Residents voice concerns about city budget at town hall meeting

WINNIPEG — Residents had the opportunity to give their input into the 2015 city budget on Wednesday.

City councillour Brian Mayes asked members of his ward to attend a town hall meeting in St. Vital Wednesday evening. Residents who turned out weren’t shy to share their opinions. Property taxes were the main concern. This year’s budget has property taxes, frontage levies and garbage collection fees going up as well as the amount of money the city is spending to fix Winnipeg’s roads.

Some residents said the frontage levy isn’t fair for home owners who have average sized homes on big lots.

“I unfortunately have a regular house that just happens to be on a large lot so that’s going to affect me on top of the taxes,” said one resident.

Another concern was among senior citizens who say a small increase has a great affect when you’re living on a fixed income.

Brian Mayes hosts a town hall meeting every year after the budget comes out. This one wasn’t as well attended as last year’s but a handful of residents still came out to have their voices heard.

The budget still has to be approved by the mayor’s executive policy committee before the changes are implemented.