Steinbach offers flood measures in hold-the-line budget

Steinbach city council voted unanimously to support the 2026 financial plan on Tuesday, highlighting the fact that the mill rate will remain the same despite the budget’s inclusion of ongoing plans for projects that will reduce flood risk.

The nearly $44 million budget does come with some increased costs however as even though the mill rate remains at 14.4 mills, there is an overall three percent increase in utility rates, a 3.7 percent increase for residential garbage collection, a 2.5 percent fee increase for land use applications and a five percent increase in permit costs.

A total of $9.3 million will be used for new capital improvements for force main twinning as well as the operations shop and yard.

Millwork Drive Sewer replacement and an upgrade to one of their lift stations will also take place.

Municipal property taxes for the city’s average dwelling market value of $250,000 will total $1,620 in 2026.

Significant grants expected by the city include $4.8 million from the provincial per capita tax sharing grant and $1.08 million from the federal gas tax grant.

City grants include $448,362 for the Jake Epp Public Library, $185,400 for Steinbach Arts Council, $170,000 for the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce, $65,000 for Summer in the City and $52,500 for the Mennonite Heritage Village.

Smaller grants totaling $106,500 will be given to the Eastman Raiders, Sports Heritage, and STARS.

In his presentation to council, senior manager of finance, Brian Hrehirchuk shared the details of what the funds pay for.

Steinbach has 18 RCMP officers, 53 firefighters and eight trucks, 147.2 km of road surface, 215 km of underground pipe infrastructure, hundreds of recreational teams, 104,250 public swims and 5,850 swim lessons with 47,800 individual lessons, and 260 acres of green space and parks.

The city also employs 155 FTE positions with 321,000 labour hours annually.

Projects this year include $17.7 million for work on a lift station and the aquatic centre, $7.5 million for equipment replacement including a landfill crawler, fire ladder truck and front load truck, $5.1 million for force main twinning, $2.8 million for underground infrastructure renewal including Millwork Drive and $2.2 million for road surface renewal including work on Stone Bridge Crossing.

The city will take on $7.25 million of new debt while retiring $3.4 million of old debt. The debt balance at the end of 2026 will be $17.7 million which is financed at an average rate of 4.01 percent.

Flood mitigation

New to this budget was a separate accounting of flood mitigation projects.

City manager Troy Warkentin took council and members of the public at the financial plan hearing through work that began before the 2025 fall flood and work that is happening after.

Before that flood event the city had already embarked on a climate risk assessment study, Clearspring Greens neighborhood drain, televising and maintenance of sanitary and storm sewers and major drains.

Since then, they’ve added storm damage mapping, a cleanout of the Keating drain, lift station and treatment plant pump calibrations.

Improvements to lift station #1 will double its capacity, and drainage maintenance and improvements were approved for Highway 52 and Park Road East.

Future programs under review include looking at the private property lot grading policy, drainage catchment area master plan, basement depth policy, major drain bypass and water retention plan, and a storm water flow sensor installation.

Coun. Damian Penner made the motion to approve the financial plan, saying he appreciated the emphasis on infrastructure.

“Even though we just undertook the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history with the Southeast Event Centre, we are still holding true to our pledge of not taking debt longer than a five-year debenture,” he said.

He also appreciated the attention to flood mitigation.

“This is a zero-tax increase budget that invests in our city for our future and the future of our children to make this a community that will be sustainable for generations,” he said.

Coun. Susan Penner seconded the motion, echoing many of the previously stated sentiments.

“I’m just really pleased that this is such an infrastructure forward budget because that really matters and allows people to live their lives,” she said.