Some on Winnipeg’s city council would like to give $7 million of taxpayers’ money to a private hotel company to build a water park at the Forks. Here are some important facts for taxpayers to consider.

1) PROPERTY TAX HIKES - The city just raised property taxes, garbage fees and another tax on your property tax bill – frontage levies. The city could use the $7 million it has set aside for a water park to help reduce future property tax hikes.

2) INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT – The city claims it has no money to fix its $7.4 billion infrastructure deficit. Yet suddenly it has money for a new water park? Incredibly, the city claims it that its own pools, arenas, community clubs and libraries need $277 million worth of upgrades.

3) NO TENDER – The city proposed giving an Alberta company $7 million to build a water park and then selling it prime real estate at the Forks for $6 million. At the same time, no one else was allowed to bid on the land in question. Thus, the Alberta company was to essentially receive $1 million ($7 million – $6 million) and free, prime real estate in Winnipeg. All it had to do was build a profitable hotel and water park on the land.

4) COULD REPAIR 20 ROADS – Last year the CTF asked the City of Winnipeg how much the typical residential street costs to repair. We were told Atwood Street in Transcona represented the typical street and it had just received a $350,000 asphalt overlay. Divide $350,000 into $7 million and the city could fix up 20 residential streets. Sure, the city has way more than 20 residential streets that need repair, but it has to start somewhere!

5) A SUBSIDY IS NEEDED? - Really? Why then are there stories about a potential water park coming to Winnipeg that won't require a subsidy? Shouldn't council vigorously investigate such plans first? After all, it routinely reminds us that it is cash strapped...
 
* http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/water+park+also+planned+for+ikea+site+in+winnipeg/6442623483/story.html
* http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/04/22/water-park-seasons

6) ECONOMIC ARGUMENT - When governments seek to spend tax dollars on questionable capital projects, they often come up with...well...questionable arguments. During the water park debate some on council claimed the money should be spent due to the economic benefits. Well, with that logic why don't we give all of our money to council if it thinks it knows how to spend it better than taxpayers? Obviously, taxpayers are better at spending their own money rather than politicians. We can all think of a few, non-essential government mega projects around town that have gone way over budget.

Proponents of taking our money also seldom present the other side - the economic benefits of leaving money in taxpayers' pockets. Or perhaps, the economic benefits from focussing on what the city should be focussing on - fixing up some of Winnipeg's horrendous roads. No doubt there is an economic benefit from losing the unfavourable impression left with so many visitors to our city.    

CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT

Several councillors admitted they received a ton of feedback from taxpayers and that swayed their vote against letting the water park proposal proceed as planned. However, the proposal still has a chance to come back to council if the developer includes additional information.

If we keep the heat on council, we can finally put a stake in this initiative when it rears its ugly head again. With any luck, we can get the $7 million used to fix up our roads and community clubs, helping to keep property tax increases to a minimum at the same time.