Discussions

Time for Change from SAME OLD COUNCIL AND MAYOR  
- City’s violent crime severity index rises (https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2025/08/07/citys-violent-crime-severity-index-rises)  
- Increase in Taxes (https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2026/01/31/council-approves-6-7-per-cent-tax-increase)  
- One of the highest city with 1 Councill member per 5500 residents (In effective decision making and higher expenses)  
- No Net NEW industry or business to provide quality and quantity of employment to growing population  
 
Edited by brandonelection, 2026-07-20 15:51:16

I've only been in Brandon a short time and I'm already wanting a change in mayor. I feel like the road work that has been done since this past spring is all part of the "look what we have accomplished" but that doesn't account for the two to three years prior, when very little was done. Brandon is a mess...time for new blood to come in and hopefully, actually make it better!

Typical social media rant. Everyone points out the problems, no one wants to actually be involved in solving the issues (it's always someone else's fault or someone else problem, right?). If you want change, run for office, otherwise you'll just end up voting in a new face with the same results you won't like.

Remembering when Brandon was often in the running as "One of the top 10 Cities" in Canada. Hasn't been for many years. Other smaller centers in Manitoba appear to be thriving (Portage, Selkirk, Morden, etc.), under their administrations. Not so much here. Young families are forced to travel to neighboring communities to use their facilities due to lacking priority and vision here. Those of you who voted against development of a Casino Complex down town well how did that work out for you? Driving, cycling, and walking in this city has become a bit of a crap shoot. Traffic regulating devices mean nothing, with texting while driving an accepted practice here. There was talk of intersection cameras, and photo radar, that's it. Luckily there hasn't been more people hurt than has been. We all know who to thank for that. Brandon is not unique in that other communities are all dealing with the exact same social/economic issues, yet they have far better methods to address these issues, and move forward. The resources are at hand, accountable leadership top to bottom is required to administer them.

Brandon is one of the Province's larges hubs, outside of Winnipeg, of course.  
 
Brandon has a prison and a hospital that serves a very large area.  
 
What does this mean for Brandon? Well, many people are airlifted to our hospital, and many of those people have no way to get back to their remote community now that Greyhound is gone, should we blame the mayor for this?  
 
Brandon also has a prison that routinely releases people that also have no way to get home. Is this also a problem for the Mayor to solve?  
 
But the Mayor and Council have done something, they have partnered with other levels of government to secure HAF money to support development in the downtown.  
 
Two social housing and support services project initiated in part by the City have either started or are already done. These will help those that are at risk to losing their homes, or worse.  
 
in 2019 the City hired MNP to review their utility fee structure and found that without significant fee increases, the City could be at risk to operating in teh red, meaning no support from the Province. So, Council was forced to raise rates in order to avoid this.  
 
Residents have been calling for a new community center to replace Park Community Centre. The costs to meet the needs of those calls were so great that Council changed direction to i:nclude a daycare as part of that new development in order to secure funds from the province to offset costs.  
 
What would you do different?

TBF, a lot of the work is being done on provincial highways, which is the province, not the city. I'm talking specifically Richmond. Princess Ave is the 2nd half of a project they started last year.

This is same Mayor and council who are responsible for city of Brandon financial situation. Look at the history how long they have been on there.  
 
If PrimeConvoy thinks there is no scope of differentiation that tells how discourage are the current council and mayor.

https://www.brandon.ca/city-hall/election/candidate-registration-city-council/registered-candidates-ward-councillor/  
 
As of today Six out of 10 wards have only 1 candidate.  
Meaning there will be no Council elections happening in those wards if there is no additional candidate runs.  
 
Encourage to run for those wards than giving FREE ride single registered candidates.

What do you mean by "financial situation"?  
 
Is the City in debt or something?

The City of Brandon authorized debt reached over $173 million  
 
Debt Servicing Costs: Approximately $5.06 million spent on servicing debt, with projections to rise further.  
 
2026 Budget Impact: Approved with a 7.4% tax requirement increase (6.7% on the municipal portion for average property owners) to balance core services and capital investments.

https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2025/08/28/citys-173m-debt-will-take-decades-to-pay-off

Every city has debt, so does Canada as a country. We will never ever get rid of it!  
 
Having said that, for the size of out little city and with the poor past increases year to year had lead us in this situation. Unfortunately, for us it will be a steep price to pay and our taxes will be increased the same way for a very long time.  
 
The VERY high taxes and the very little things that city has brought to make it "attractive" is not enough. The province taxes our income a lot as well so that doesn't help. I believe Manitoba maybe 3 or 4th highest taxes province in Canada.  
 
I am, and well as many of other friends and family are considering moving away. It may not happen this year, but time is creeping up!