Winnipeg City Councillor Kevin Klein Serving Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood
On July 9th, the City of Winnipeg will once again ask to use your money to pay the mounting legal bills. This money is in addition to the one million the Mayor and the EPC + 2 approved not long ago.
The money doesn't fight for you, and it's not to fight injustice. The City wants to use more of your money to fight you.
James Snell of the Winnipeg Sun wrote; City's legal department requests extra $800K to handle case backlog.
Here are examples of just a few legal battles. The City canceled a garbage contract, and now it may cost you upwards of $80 million.
This leadership imposed a new tax known as the "Impact Fee." Residents and builders voiced concern and felt forced to launch a lawsuit. Parker Lands, one we have heard a lot about, could cost you hundreds of millions in judgments.
The City was found in Contempt of Court. That has only happened two other times in our country's history. There are different court challenges, including many in which residents felt forced to sue the City for various reasons.
Let's not forget the $24 million mistake and a subsequent fine of $600,000 when Mayor Bowman, Councillor's Lukes, Gillingham, Chambers, Allard, Browaty, Gilroy, Rollins, and Orlikow all voted to alter the police pension arbitrarily.
That day, November 2019, I told CBC the City is setting itself up for a lawsuit. "Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) warned massive legal bills could eat up any savings the City sees through the changes. What if we lose in court? The money we promised to hire more officers, we wouldn't have that anymore," said Klein."
Is this the collaborative and transparent government they promised?
Leadership is the ability to bring people together and work towards a mutually beneficial solution. Leadership is not saying, "if you don't like it, take us to court."
Ask yourself, do you approve of City Council risking more of your tax dollars?
Call the Mayor and your City Councillor and tell them to stop mismanaging your tax dollars immediately.