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Regina City Council approved a 10.9 per cent mill rate increase for the 2026 general operating budget on Friday.
This includes gross expenditures of $676.45 million and a total tax levy of $368.87 million, costing the average taxpayer an extra $23 per month (or $276 per year).
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After several hours of debate throughout the week, with many failed and passed amendments, council finally settled on a 10.9 per cent increase, narrowly being passed 6-5.
Mayor Chad Bachynski, councillors David Froh (Ward 3), Victoria Flores (Ward 6), Jason Mancinelli (Ward 9), Shobna Radons (Ward 7) and Sarah Turnbull (Ward 5) voted in favour of it while councillors Shanon Zachidniak (Ward 8), Mark Burton (Ward 4), Clark Bezo (Ward 10), George Tsiklis (Ward 2) and Dan Rashovich (Ward 1) opposed.
(Screenshot/City of Regina)
“Council has tried to find areas to reduce, adjust and reprioritize over three full days, and it’s clear that there are no easy cuts,” said Mayor Chad Bachynski.
“But what I can say is that every member of council I can see around this horseshoe cares. They all care about their community. They all care about what’s best for the community, and they’re trying to bring what they’ve heard from their areas to this budget.”
In November, city administration forecast a 15.69 per cent mill rate increase required to run the city at desired levels.
Bachynski introduced a lowered 10.73 per cent rate increase on Wednesday. Since then, the proposed number fluctuated up and down as each member tried to find ways to manage the many and at times competing interests of citizens, community groups and partner organizations.
On Friday afternoon, council unanimously approved the city’s utility operating and capital budget and Regina Public Library’s 3.85 per cent operational mill rate increase.
It also approved the 5.5 per cent dedicated mill rate for the Central Library renewal project, costing the average property owner about an extra $1.65 per month. RPL’s operational impact is about 69 extra cents per month. The increased utility rate will cost taxpayers $14 more per month.
“I’m going to just say quickly that 48 per cent of Canadians are $200 away from not meeting their monthly bills and we just took away another $30,” Bezo said during the meeting.
According to the City of Regina, the total impact of the mill rate, utility rate and library levy amounts to $38 more per month.
“We had to find a responsible balance,” said Bachynski after the meeting.
“We can’t kid ourselves anymore; we’re not in a position to artificially keep mill rate increases low for popularity. We need to take the math seriously if we don’t want to put our city in jeopardy of truly cutting services that residents expect.”
What else has happened on day five?
Before Thursday’s meeting ended, Mancinelli introduced a motion that would decommission the aging Massey Pool in the city’s south end.
“This is a budgeting exercise trying to find efficiencies,” Mancinelli said.
“…We’re looking for dollars everywhere we can look in this budget.”
As debate continued on Friday, Mancinelli argued it was the prudent thing to do given that the pool is already near the end of its life. City administration described the situation as “imminent.”
However, other councillors cautioned against closing it — saying Hillsdale and Whitmore Park already have few amenities.
It was defeated 7-2, with Mancinelli and Bezo voting against it.
Mancinelli then successfully motioned to cut Heritage Grant Program funding in half, going from $260,000 to $130,000. It passed 7-4. Mancinelli said he motioned for it because most of the applications for the program stem from maintenance rather than actual heritage value.
Radons sought to reduce $230,000 from the Regina Exhibition Association Limited’s budget in order not to have to axe dust suppression.
“We talked a little bit about the effects on folks and people’s kids with asthma and how that affects their health,” she said.
“I think this is an important thing that my residents on the edge of the city would be willing to pay, but this is going to bring it to a net zero.”
The dust suppression passed, but the removal of the $230,000 was not passed, bringing the mill rate up to 10.9 per cent by noon.
Council completed readings for bylaw amendments that will see the introduction of a 10 per cent transit fare increase, which passed earlier in the week.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Geoff Smith
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