Municipal delegates from across Manitoba have voted overwhelmingly in favour of lobbying the governent to reinstate the Municipal Road and Bridge Program. 

Chris Goertzen is Outgoing President for Association of Manitoba Municipalities. He says a record 102 municipalities co-sponsored the resolution at this week's annual convention in Winnipeg. In a vote this afternoon, the resolution passed with the approval of 97 per cent of delegates.

"It's something certainly on the minds of municipalities here at the convention," says Goertzen.

In 2017, this program made $14 million available to municipalities. In 2018, the total dropped to $2.25 million. Earlier this year, the province announced plans to terminate this program in 2019.

Goertzen, who served as Steinbach's Mayor until October, 2018, says a number of roads in Steinbach have benefit from this program, including the Hespeler overlay project. 

"All municipalities that applied previous years actually did achieve success in getting dollars from this program," notes Goertzen.

According to Goertzen, the program was simple and straightforward, with very little red tape.

"There were many councils who didn't realize that this was not going to be taking place and so there's a lot of communities across Manitoba that budgeted for it and then were left holding the entire bill," adds Goertzen.

 

 

Jeff Wharton the Minister for Municipal Relations told municipal officials on Tuesday that the government is working on a replacement program to be announced early in 2019.