Mayor Scott Gillingham says the city needs more money for city services and staffing to keep up with recent population surges.
Municipal services such as police and firefighters are struggling to meet needs due to decreased staff levels, Gillingham said in a news release issued Thursday.
The number of police officers per 10,000 residents has decreased from 20.3 in 2014 to 16.8 in 2023, the release said. Firefighter numbers have fallen, too, from 12.1 per 10,000 residents in 2014 to 11.4 in 2023.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
“The City is left to do more with less, stretching resources to meet the needs of a larger population,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in the release.
“The City is left to do more with less, stretching resources to meet the needs of a larger population,” Gillingham said in the release.
The city’s population has grown by 65,000 people in three years, but city staffing levels haven’t kept pace, the release stated.
Gillingham said the issue is compounded because the majority of new tax revenue generated by Winnipeg’s rapid population growth goes to the federal and provincial governments.
In 2014, the City of Winnipeg had 125.7 employees for every 10,000 residents. By 2024, the number dropped to 114.5.
On Dec. 11 the city is set to release its 2025 budget update, which finance chair Jeff Browaty said will outline how the city can “strategically address these challenges to stabilize City finances, meet the needs of residents, and prepare for future growth.”
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
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