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This article was published 5/12/2019 (296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Transit supporters received a boost Thursday morning when councillors on the public works committee rejected deep cuts to the service over the next four years.

A series of budget-saving moves from Coun. Jeff Browaty were unanimously supported by the four-member committee, which proposes to use retained earnings (transit's accumulated surplus) to eliminate all proposed cuts to Winnipeg Transit for 2020, and digging deeper into retained earnings combined with possible federal funding to avoid additional cuts "wherever possible" for years 2021 to 2023.

"Transit is a basic service that citizens rely on and we need to be providing it," Coun. Devi Sharma said.

"We should, at all reasonable costs, avoid substantial reductions in Transit service. If the network is too broken, it doesn’t become a viable option for people to get around the city," Browaty said following the meeting, adding, "We've sent a loud message now" to Mayor Brian Bowman and members of his executive policy committee.

The committee also rejected a department proposal to turn off a large number of street lights as a money-saving move and instead, supported Browaty’s plan to use anticipated savings from changes to the police pension plan to keep the lights on.

Not so lucky Thursday morning was the public works department, which saw no effort made by the committee to avoid a planned $10.6 million reduction in capital projects for 2020 and a total spending cut of $65.9 million over the next four years.

Coun. Jeff Browaty led the charge to reject the proposed cuts. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press Files)

"We should, at all reasonable costs, avoid substantial reductions in Transit service. If the network is too broken, it doesn’t become a viable option for people to get around the city." – Coun. Jeff Browaty

The committee was the first of three that actually rejected proposed department budget cuts for consideration in the 2020-23 budget plan. The night before, councillors on the protection, community services and parks committee publicly struggled with cuts to libraries, pools, arenas and parks but in the end they sent all the cuts ahead for consideration in the budget process.

Similarly, councillors on the environment committee last week did the same to the cuts proposed for the water and waste department and the city’s riverbank division.

The property and development committee meets later today to consider how to deal with cuts to the planning, property and development department.

Coun. Matt Allard, who chairs the committee and is a member of EPC, cautioned the other councillors that the moves pushed Transit’s budget beyond the annual two per cent cap that had been imposed by EPC on annual increases at the start of the budget process, adding that the morning’s moves are only recommendations that may or may not be included in the draft budget released by EPC in February.

Aleem Chaudhary, president of ATU Local 1505 which represents transit drivers and skilled trades, said he was pleased the committee rejected the proposed cuts.

"It’s a step in the right direction," Chaudhary said. "We’re pleased the committee listened to the public who made presentations opposing the cuts and we’re hopeful the mayor will listen to the people."

Coun. Devi Sharma says she will vote against any cuts to transit if reintroduced into the budget-planning process. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press Files)

But simply avoiding cuts isn't good enough for transit advocacy group Functional Transit Winnipeg, which is calling on additional spending to improve Transit with frequent, 10-minute bus service on 22 specific routes.

Sharma said she will not vote for Transit cuts if they are reinserted into the budget in the new year.

"To make cuts now is completely irresponsible and not something I’m willing to support," Sharma said. "Citizens count on an affordable and a well-functioning public transportation system and it is our duty to provide it."

City hall observers might be surprised that Browaty authored Transit’s budget-saving moves, as he is not known as a Transit supporter. But the North Kildonan councillor said that improving service benefits everyone.

And he said keeping the street lights on is a public-safety measure. He admitted the money-saving move gambles on the police union losing a labour challenge to the pension changes but added that if city hall does lose, there will be time to find a solution.

An arbitration hearing on the city’s plan to unilaterally alter the police pension plan will be heard Jan. 14 and a decision might not be reached before council votes on the final budget in March.

Sharma and Browaty said all four committee members worked collaboratively to avoid the Transit cuts, but added there wasn’t enough time to meet Thursday’s deadline to do the same for the public works department.

"We can’t tackle everything here," Sharma said. "We do have more time in the new year and there will be further discussions."

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca