Mayoral candidate Klein makes property tax promises

Former city councillor and PC MLA Kevin Kline says he'll freeze property taxes in 2027, but he'll bring in a new levy to pay for more police officers, which works out to the equivalent of a 1% property tax hike. Every Winnipeg property will be charged $48 a year, regardless of whether it's a downtown office tower or a bungalow on the north end. This is an achievable plan. This is a responsible approach that will move Winnipeg forward. Klein also said he'll limit future property tax increases to just under 3% a year. He said he'd divert half the annual budget for bike and pedestrian corridors to pay for a managed encampment for homeless people. This led incumbent candidate Scott Gilliam to accuse Klein of playing bike lanes against homelessness. Gilliam said funding for bike lanes can't be diverted because it comes from frontage levies. He also said Klein would need provincial approval to charge his special police levy. Overall, Gilliam called Klein's fiscal plan sloppy. It looks like it's been put together in the back of a napkin. For someone who is running for mayor of one of Canada's largest cities, he'd need to do better. Gilliam, however, is yet to release his own financial plan. That, he says, is coming on Monday. Klein, Gillingham and 10 other candidates only have a few more days to make their case to voters. Election Day is Wednesday. Bart Lukivis, CBC News, Winnipeg.