‘Don’t start ripping things’: Firefighters oppose potential cuts as Regina budget talks continue

Some Regina firefighters spoke out against possible cuts to the city’s fire budget on Tuesday.

On the second day of budget deliberations, Regina City Council continued hearing from delegates as it prepares to tackle a projected 15.69 per cent mill rate increase, which would translate to an increase of roughly $33 per month for the city’s average property owner.

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City administration has provided council with a comprehensive list of potential areas to cut in order to save costs, with one of the options being closing a fire station.

Tyler Packham, representing the Regina Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 181 union, said making cuts to fire service or the Regina Fire Master Plan would have a severe effect on the community.

“There are already response gaps in parts of Regina today, and those gaps will widen as the new neighbourhoods come online,” Packham said.

“Plainly put, we are not debating nice-to-have enhancements. The projects now being targeted are the first steps required just to keep pace with the growth and to maintain the current service levels.”

Packham said service cuts would lead to slower response times, greater property damage and higher insurance claims.

All the councillors who asked Packham questions, including David Froh, George Tsiklis, Mark Burton and Jason Mancinelli, seemed to indicate that they would not support any cuts to Regina Fire & Protective Services.

Higher costs may be necessary, city employees say

Ian Cantello of the Regina Civic Middle Managers Association and Tyler Hutchinson of CUPE Local 21 told council that the projected mill rate hike is troublesome, but would ultimately be worthwhile for the health of the city.

Cantello said he would be “very willing” to pay the higher mill rate, and even urged council to adopt an 18.93 per cent mill rate increase, saying the higher costs the city faces are partly due to years of deferrals meant to keep the mill rate “artificially low.”

“The staffing of Regina is functioning like a Formula One car right now. Everything is tuned for maximum efficiency,” Cantello said.

“Council after council, budget after budget, has shaved and moulded and cut the administration until it’s running right at the red line. Don’t start ripping things out of the car now that it needs maintenance.”

Cantello said Regina is already building a city on “hard mode,” having to overcome logistical hurdles like provincial downloading of responsibilities, the pressure of being a major provincial support hub for half the province and being relatively isolated from other major centres.

Non-profits want to save community investments program

Throughout the day, council heard from many non-profits urging council not to eliminate the Community Investments Grants Program (CIGP).  This was one of roughly 130 proposed areas for reductions to address the forecasted 15.69 per cent mill rate increase and $51.78 million deficit.

Denis Simard, executive director of the Al Ritchie Community Association, said the organization is already stretched thin and could not make do without CIGP funding.

He described Al Ritchie as a vital safety net providing numerous community services that would have to be unloaded onto other organizations, like Regina police and Regina Fire.

“For every dollar you give us, we give you $7 worth of services. For every citizen that walks through our doors, that’s seven citizens who basically are not having to go access any services and everything else,” Simard said.

“We’re feeding people, we’re feeding families, we’re taking care of them, we’re dealing with their mental health issues. We’re doing everything we can, but sometimes it feels like we’re doing it alone, and truthfully, sometimes it feels like we’re doing it against (council), and that’s not what it’s supposed to be.”

Simard said the CIGP should, in fact, have its funding tripled. He said if the Al Ritchie Community Association is forced to close down, it’s unlikely to ever return.

Oz Weaver, executive director of the Globe Theatre, said cutting the CIGP goes directly against an action item of the city’s strategic plan. 

“Arts and culture are the cornerstone of a liveable city, and currently Regina has a beautiful, liveable city with a vibrant arts and culture scene. Defunding that will take years and years and years to rebuild if ever, and you will have people in Regina leave,” Weaver said.

He added that the Globe has not even seen a single increase in a decade.

Weaver said the Globe is currently leveraging a $128,000 city grant into a $5.3 million budget. According to Weaver, 31,000 people came to the Globe in its last season and it’s anticipating 43,000 this year; 8,500 of those visitors were from out of town.

Weaver also said the Globe’s input into Saskatchewan’s GDP is $23 million and generates $7.5 million in tourist spending, helping to keep Regina’s downtown alive.

Business leaders oppose mill rate hike

CEO Mike Tate of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce said he appreciated the new multi-step forecasting of this year’s budget, calling it an improved process. However, he said that the business community remains “deeply concerned” about the potential 15.69 per cent increase and urged council to adopt a lower and “more realistic” rate.

“The chamber supports the city’s commitment to maintaining essential services, investing in safety and addressing deferred infrastructure needs… at the same time, Regina effectively has one pre-existing taxpayer and it’s our only reliable revenue source,” Tate said.

“Without meaningful tax base growth, the burden of rising costs falls on the same residents and employers year after year. A model that is not sustainable.”

Tate advised council to build the city’s tax base and make Regina friendlier to large footprint employers.