Winnipeg City hall hypocrisy on full display over school taxes

Winnipeg councillors Jeff Browaty and Evan Duncan are now taking aim at rising school board taxes, but the criticism rings hollow. After consistently voting for higher taxes at City Hall, their sudden outrage is not leadership. It is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

Their argument is straightforward. School divisions, they say, have increased property taxes by more than 40 percent over four years. That is more than double the City of Winnipeg’s increase of 17.5 percent over the same period. They also point out that education taxes now account for roughly 54 percent of the total property tax bill.

Those numbers deserve attention. But they do not excuse what is missing from this narrative.

Both Browaty and Duncan have supported every tax increase placed before them at City Hall. That includes the largest property tax increase in more than 30 years approved in 2025. It also includes added fees that continue to drive up the total cost for homeowners, including water and waste charges. These are not minor adjustments. They are part of a steady pattern that has made living in Winnipeg more expensive.

So when these same councillors now criticize another level of government for doing the same thing, it raises a basic question. Where was this concern when they were casting their own votes?

Taxpayers are not confused. They are frustrated. They see one bill, and it keeps going up. Whether the increase comes from City Hall or a school division does not matter when the total is what has to be paid.

Browaty suggests residents may not realize school taxes are rising faster than city taxes. That may be technically correct. But it sidesteps the bigger issue. Winnipeg has a spending problem, and City Hall is part of it.

Councillor Brian Mayes offered a more grounded view. He questioned why council is picking a fight with school boards while the city continues to deal with homelessness, addiction, transit challenges, and other pressing issues. He also pointed to the value of working with school divisions to deliver projects that benefit communities, rather than engaging in public disputes.

That approach reflects something often missing in these debates. Accountability.

It is easy to criticize another body for raising taxes. It is harder to look inward and make different decisions. Neither Browaty nor Duncan has shown much interest in doing that.

Neither comes from a business background where budgets must balance and tough choices are unavoidable. In business, rising costs trigger action. Expenses are reviewed, priorities are set, and inefficiencies are addressed. You do not simply increase prices and hope customers accept it without question.

At City Hall, the pattern has been the opposite. Spending grows, fees are added, and the tax burden increases. Then, when the combined impact becomes clear, responsibility is redirected elsewhere.

That is not fiscal management. It is avoidance.

If Browaty and Duncan are serious about tax relief, there are practical steps available to them.

Start with spending. Conduct a full review of city programs and identify where costs can be reduced without affecting essential services. That requires discipline and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

Improve transparency. Separate billing for city and school taxes would help residents clearly see where increases are coming from. This idea has been discussed for years. It should be implemented, not recycled as a talking point.

Work constructively with the province and school divisions. Public criticism may generate headlines, but it does not solve structural issues in how education is funded.

And most importantly, stop approving increases. If taxes are too high, the first step is to stop raising them.

There is also a broader issue here. Both councillors have accepted pay increases funded by taxpayers while supporting policies that increase the financial burden on those same taxpayers. That disconnect is difficult to ignore.

Winnipeggers expect more than finger-pointing. They expect consistency. They expect leaders who understand that every increase, whether labeled a tax or a fee, affects families, seniors, and businesses.

The frustration many feel today is not just about school board taxes. It is about a pattern of decisions followed by attempts to shift responsibility when the consequences become clear.

That is why this latest criticism falls flat. It is not that the numbers are wrong. It is that the message lacks credibility.

You cannot support higher taxes year after year and then act surprised when people start pushing back.

At some point, accountability has to start at home.