Winnipeg Coun. Kevin Klein calls 2022 'year of change,' but won't say if he plans to run for mayor

Winnipeg city Coun. Kevin Klein made a mayoral campaign-style call for more leadership at city hall on Wednesday — but won't say whether he intends to run for the top job.

In a mayoral-style announcement on Wednesday, Klein said he wants "old school" private meetings at city hall to be a thing of the past.

"I don't want to see any more secret, behind-closed-door meetings if it involves taxpayers," said the first-term Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood councillor in an interview.

"That's my commitment. I'm going to try to stop them all."

Klein moved a motion at Wednesday's Assiniboia community committee meeting to make transit advisory committee meetings public.

Currently, the committee, which is supposed to make recommendations on improving the transit system, meets privately twice a year. The public cannot attend these meetings or watch them online, nor can they find the meeting minutes later.

The motion was unanimously supported by the Assiniboia committeee and will move on to the infrastructure and public works committee.

Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said the city's bus system has a bad reputation, which is a "huge issue," so more public discussion is a good thing.

"We had an active transportation advisory committee also that I sat on before getting elected," she said during Wednesday's meeting.

"We had incredibly good, frank, open discussions."

Coun. Scott Gillingham (St. James) also supported the motion.

The transit advisory committee includes Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) as chair, as well as members from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, Winnipeg Transit and the Winnipeg Police Service.

They do have some say in how transit operates. For example, earlier this year, apparently the group recommended the city's public engagement department to ask Winnipeggers how to improve transit. That information came out at a public works committee meeting.

"We hear their comments an awful lot in council, but we don't actually get to participate in their meetings or allow the public to see what's going on behind closed doors," said Klein.

In a Wednesday press release, Klein called out organization and leadership at city hall, saying "2022 is the year of change."

"Residents want strong leaders, not cheerleaders of the status quo," he wrote.

When asked if that statement is part of a campaign for mayor, and if he would disclose if he was running, Klein said "not at this time."

"I intend to be on council one way or the other next year," he said.

Mayor Brian Bowman said in 2020 that he wouldn't run again in this fall's civic election, leaving an open mayoral race on Oct. 26.

May 1 is the first day Winnipeggers can register mayoral campaigns.

Klein has said he's considering running for mayor in the past.

So far, Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) and social entrepreneur Shaun Loney have said they plan to run for mayor.

Gillingham has said he will "very likely" run for mayor.

Business consultant Jenny Motkaluk, who finished second to Bowman in the 2018 mayoral race, has said she is considering another mayoral run.