Rent reduced for Riders, early budget items approved by Regina Council
4h ago
Council retroactively slashed $1.33 million in rent owed by the Roughriders.
After three days of meetings totalling 12 hours in council chambers, Regina’s 2020 budget has been approved.
It includes a mill rate increase of 3.25 per cent, which works out to an additional $5.60 per month, or $67.20 per year, in taxes for a Regina homeowner with an assessed property value of $350,000.
Council also approved a utility rate increase of three per cent, or $4.14 per month for the average homeowner.
Heading into budget talks, Mayor Michael Fougere said he wanted to lower the mill rate increase. Two motions were put forward in an attempt to do so but were both defeated.
Coun. Sharron Bryce suggested taking $750,000 out of the Parks, Recreation and Culture fund to bring the mill rate down to 2.95 per cent. That would have saved the average homeowner $0.50 per month or $6 per year.
Several councillors were against including Bob Hawkins, who reminded council that city administration was already proposing the lowest mill rate increase in a decade.
“If we now start lowering that in an election year, we will achieve none of our objectives on infrastructure, on preserving the general reserve fund, on building for the future for what? For next to nothing.” said Hawkins.
Hawkins called it the best budget presentation he has seen in his seven years as councillor.
Coun. Andrew Stevens was also against that option, expressing concerns about taking money away from future recreation infrastructure projects.
“I think some of these facilities are held together by pigeon poop and duct tape. I think this money is desperately needed,” said Stevens.
The second attempt to lower the mill rate increase came from Fougere. He wanted to take $1 million from the $6.5-million surplus to lower the mill rate to 2.85 per cent.
Fougere said it was about making life more affordable for taxpayers.
“I think our economy is changing compared to what it was a year, two years ago. I’m hearing more of people having difficulty paying their loans off (or) people not working,” said Fougere. “This is a message to residents that we hear you.”
However, most councillors didn’t think it was a good idea to take away from the surplus, which is being designated to reserves, and Fougere’s motion was defeated.
Despite not being able to drop the mill rate increase below his goal of three per cent, Fougere supports the budget.
“This is the best budget we could put together for 2020,” said Fougere.