City officials moved a step closer to hiking Winnipeggers' water and sewer bills next year, as councillors on the executive policy committed voted in favour of an 11.5 per cent rate increase at a meeting Wednesday morning.
In an unusual move, the proposed hike moved on to the executive policy committee — considered the mayor's cabinet — despite the city's infrastructure renewal committee voting against the proposal at a meeting Tuesday.
The six councillors present at the EPC meeting voted unanimously in favour of the hike.
The committee's seventh member — Coun. Bill Clement, who chairs the infrastructure renewal committee — left the meeting shortly before the vote.
Clement (Charleswood-Tuxedo) said Tuesday he could not support the hike because he felt the province should provide more funding for provincially-ordered upgrades to the city's water and sewage systems.
St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel said that money would flow — eventually.
"It's easy to stand up and throw stones at Broadway. I think those conversations are happening, and there's no need to be throwing stones right now," he said.
"We have to continue to fund these projects and finance them as we go forward, and it's the prudent thing to do."
Mayor Sam Katz said he would charge Winnipeggers whatever it takes to guarantee clean water for city residents.
Other opponents to the rate hike have complained that too much of the increase will be transferred to the city's general revenues, possibly to fund an upcoming cut to the city's business tax.
The 11.6 per cent increase, which comes on the heels of this year's 13 per cent rate hike, would add an estimated $80 to the water and sewer bill of a typical residential customer, increasing the total annual bill to about $775 in 2008.
Full city council will consider the matter next week.
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