Province wants to tie 'outcomes,' 'expectations' to funding, says letter

The Manitoba NDP says a letter it obtained through a freedom-of-information request suggests Premier Brian Pallister's government is breaking a campaign promise by attaching new strings to provincial funding for municipalities. 

According to the letter, the province wants to set  "outcomes" and "expectations" for how the city uses its operating fund.

"This is a major reversal of a campaign commitment," NDP MLA and finance critic James Allum told CBC News on Thursday.

"The Pallister government is clearly imposing conditions on the City of Winnipeg that they weren't expecting. Rather than simplifying matters, they have complicated it and have walked back from transparency and openness yet again."

The letter was sent in May by Grant Doak, provincial deputy minister of what was then Indigenous and municipal affairs, to provide "additional details" on the "new, simplified, basket funding mode" with the city.

That department was split into two departments — municipal relations, and Indigenous and northern relations — in a cabinet shuffle earlier this month.

Doak's letter was obtained by the NDP through a freedom-of-information request and provided to CBC News on Thursday.

You kind of go, well, what is being said here?- Coun. Brian Mayes, St. Vital

Municipal Relations Minister Jeff Wharton told reporters Thursday the province is not putting conditions on the funding but didn't provide more detail about the expectations or outcomes referred to in the letter.

The Gimli MLA was sworn in as minister six days ago, taking over the portfolio formerly managed by Eileen Clarke, who was copied on the letter.

"Fair say is there. Municipalities, City of Winnipeg will have the opportunity to invest where they feel Winnipeggers need it most," Wharton said.

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In its 2017 budget, the province committed a total of $248.6 million to the city, the letter states, divided between operating and capital grants.

Nearly $140 million of that will be transferred in a "new single, unconditional grant," the letter states, with $115.5 million in operating funding and $24 million as a public-safety grant.

"This provincial operating funding will be unconditional, providing greater flexibility for Winnipeg to allocate funding to address its priorities," the letter says.

"That said, the province wants to ensure that funding is focused on the achievement of outcomes. We will enter into discussions shortly with the city to define expected outcomes and establish a communications protocol for the provincial funding to be provided."

The letter goes on to state Manitoba Justice will work with the city to establish expectations related to funding for the Winnipeg Police Service, "including positive outcomes to be achieved through the operation of units like the court disclosure unit."

Councillor calls message 'confusing'

St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes told CBC News he wants clarity from the province on how it defines "unconditional funding." 

"It is confusing to say, 'Well, it's all unconditional but we want to sit down with you and work out a plan," said Mayes. "You kind of go, well, what is being said here?"

Mayes said he'd like specifics about how the province intends to be involved in city budget-setting.

"We're democratically elected officials. We ran on certain commitments. I intend to try and fulfil those, so I'd want to know what the province feels its role is in a city budget," he said.

The letter was addressed to Doug McNeil, the city's chief administrative officer. McNeil wasn't available for comment on Thursday, but a spokesperson responded to a CBC request for comment via email.

"The city has made progress in discussions with the province and continues to work on obtaining more information related to the new funding model," the spokesperson wrote.

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Mayor Brian Bowman wasn't available for comment on Thursday either, but a spokesperson told CBC News the Winnipeg mayor is aware of the letter.

"Despite a better understanding today of how the new basket funding model will work, some outstanding questions remain, which officials are continuing to work through and discuss," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

The letter wasn't addressed to the mayor, the spokesperson noted.

"It's a single letter from one bureaucrat to another bureaucrat, at a single point in time," the spokesperson wrote.

Province wants to tie 'outcomes,' 'expectations' to funding, says letter

7 years ago

Duration 2:14

The Manitoba NDP says a letter it obtained through a freedom-of-information request suggests Premier Brian Pallister's government is breaking a campaign promise by attaching new strings to provincial funding for municipalities.