Doug Dobrowolski

Ensuring that municipal issues get front and centre in this fall's provincial election is the goal of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities province-wide campaign. The campaign launched this month is called Putting Communities First and A.M.M.

President Doug Dobrowolski says municipal issues always take a back seat to concerns such as education, healthcare and housing needs during elections. He adds the campaign focuses on three areas, the first being better investments to infrastructure in Manitoba as the infrastructure deficit in the province is estimated at $11 billion or $10,000 per Manitoban.

The second priority is a rebate of the P.S.T. that municipalities pay to the province. Dobrowolski says it's unfair that one level of government is taxing another level of government.

And the third request is that the province participate in the Escalator Clause of the gas tax agreement.

Dobrowolski adds the A.M.M. was well aware that this fall's election is going to be a close one, so they hired a consultant, conducted polls and held roundtable discussions across the province to gauge what the municipal issues are. He notes the goal was to find out what resonated with ratepayers in Manitoba, adding the goal of the entire campaign is also to get regular citizens involved.

Dobrowolski says one way to get involved is to visit A.M.M.'s website where there is a list of questions you can ask candidates about during public forums or when the come campaigning at your door.

Overall, Dobrowolski hopes this campaign will force all three provincial parties to commit to what their vision is for municipal government in the future. He adds they are in the process of discussing the possibility of holding a leaders debate focused just on municipal issues.