Stop treating your water bill like City Hall’s ATM

Winnipeg families are already feeling the pressure from rising property taxes, garbage fees, water and sewer rates.

Under Scott Gillingham, water and sewer rates have kept rising while City Hall has transferred more than $45 million a year from the utility to general revenue.

Water is not a luxury, and families should not be treated like a cash machine.

That’s why I support putting Winnipeg’s water and sewer rates under the Public Utilities Board, just like other Manitoba communities, and freezing rates immediately so families can catch their breath.

I also know that Winnipeg needs Ottawa to come through with its share of the $1.5-billion North End Water Pollution Control Centre project.

I’ve sat on the provincial side of the table and understand what it takes to get federal infrastructure dollars moving. We need to finish the business case, connect the project to housing, jobs and Lake Winnipeg protection, and keep pushing until the federal commitment is signed.

Freeze water rates. Put them under independent oversight. Get Ottawa to finish the deal.

That’s change that makes sense.

Kevin Klein