Ticket/Attendance Discussion: The Sequel

[Section 325]

Winnipeg is really an island. People here complain about property tax increases of 5% which are far less than many other cities out there....and then they complain about the state of infrastructure. Bottom line, if you want better infrastructure and services, taxes will have to increase.

As for attendance, hopefully the Jets can sellout at least 3 of the 8 games...maybe 4.

I think we have 7 sellouts so far this year. Last year, we had 10 all season. At the beginning of the year, I was predicting 15-20 sellouts if the team was at least a solid playoff game. I will stick with that number.

And?! The fact is current tax rates are unsustainable for maintaining this city and have been for a loooooong time...especially given some terrible policies that encourage more suburban expansion and increase the stress on services and the infrastructure deficit.

Calgary just had an 8% tax increase.

100% true

Calgary is having what they are calling an austerity budget this year and it still contains almost a 4% property tax increase after last year's 9% increase.

Victoria is getting a 12% increase.

Winnipeg has a totally different mindset about these things and I have never understood it. Like...wouldn't you rather have good public services and roads that aren't embarrassing versus saving like $10-15 a month.

Winnipeg grew by 20,000+ people last year and you need to invest in things to support that growth. You can't just constantly cut corners, cheap out, and delay things because it comes back on you.

 

[sipowicz]

100% true

Calgary is having what they are calling an austerity budget this year and it still contains almost a 4% property tax increase after last year's 9% increase.

Victoria is getting a 12% increase.

Winnipeg has a totally different mindset about these things and I have never understood it. Like...wouldn't you rather have good public services and roads that aren't embarrassing versus saving like $10-15 a month.

Winnipeg grew by 20,000+ people last year and you need to invest in things to support that growth. You can't just constantly cut corners, cheap out, and delay things because it comes back on you.

And this is a good thing? Winnipeg has grown by 65000 in just past three years, our social services and infrastructure are still stuck in the 1970's! Property owners are supposed to somehow take the burden on the growth through property tax increases with nothing in return!

I find that those all for property tax increases don't own property, the city has a spending problem not a revenue problem, at no point do they think of ways to save!

 

[Section 325]

And this is a good thing? Winnipeg has grown by 65000 in just past three years, our social services and infrastructure are still stuck in the 1970's! Property owners are supposed to somehow take the burden on the growth through property tax increases with nothing in return!

I find that those all for property tax increases don't own property, the city has a spending problem not a revenue problem, at no point do they think of ways to save!

Even though I live in Calgary, I still own a house in Winnipeg and have since 2014 so I do pay property taxes.

While I left Winnipeg for personal reasons (and not because "it sucks" or whatever other people think), I REALLY don't miss the apathy, the unwillingness to address obvious problems until they're five alarm fires, and this persisting notion that there's some hidden pot of money sitting around somewhere.
The City of Winnipeg has no contingency fund after this year, for the first time in many decades. Also...
Winnipeg Leads Canada in Property Tax Affordability

"A 25-Year Record of Tax Restraint – Since 1998, Winnipeg’s compounded property tax increase has been just 35%. In contrast, other major Western Canadian cities have seen increases ranging from 129% to 189% over the same period."

"If Winnipeg collected property taxes at the same rate as those cities, it would have an additional $700-800 million in annual revenue."