After three long days, councillors approved the 2022 city budget with a mill rate of 3.4 per cent.
Councillors Lori Bresciani, Landon Mohl and Terina Shaw were the only ones to vote against the budget.
The proposed budget released on Nov. 23 called for a mill rate increase of 3.49 per cent. Councillors were able to save some funding from the police budget savings.
The increase will include:
- • $6.9 million for the Recreation/Culture Capital Program and Recreation Infrastructure Program
- • $6.3 million to advance initiatives to support the city’s target of being renewable by 2050, including $5.5 million for the development of a household food and yard waste program
- • $1.4 million for initiatives that will enhance community safety and well-being for Regina residents
- • $1.2 million to create safer sidewalks by addressing a backlog in sidewalk maintenance
- • $1.0 million to make recreation and leisure activities more accessible for people with disabilities
The total budget for 2022 is just under $512 million dollars, at $511,970,000.
“When we hear from citizens, it's roads, its safety and dealing with the severity of crime in our community as well as the severity of vulnerable and marginalized people and recreation. I think between winter city strategy and accessibility programming, recreational programming for those with disabilities. I think you can come away from it saying that we've achieved probably in the top three anyways, what they've asked for,” Sandra Master, the mayor of Regina said.
Operating Budget
Early Friday morning, council focused on the operating budget.
Councillor Daniel Leblanc put forward an amendment that would see the Maple Leaf Pool change its hours from 12 to 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The amendment would allocate $25,000 for the change. Council heard the pool has seen a good uptake from residents since it’s opening.
Leblanc said his senior constituents are looking to do early morning lane swimming.
Councillor Lori Bresciani said she supported the amendment but asked if it would be possible to make all the pools have the same hours.
The city manager agreed that would be possible for another $25,000.
Council voted and the amendment passed unanimously.
Recreation and Culture Capital plan
The operating budget passed, and council moved onto the capital budget.
Councillor Bob Hawkins put forward an amendment to the recreation and culture capital plan.
He proposed council add a “Lakeview Outdoor Rink Replacement” to fund the replacement of the outdoor rink in the Lakeview area.
The amendment would cost $630,000, Hawkins said the Lakeview Community Associating is trying to fundraise more than $75,000 that would then be deducted from the total cost.
Councillor Cheryl Stadnichuk said she supported the amendment as Lakeview has seen an increase in new families moving into the area.
Hawkins added council has been focusing on developing facilities people can develop healthy habits at.
He said he could see kids from all across the city using the rink in the winter and the surface for sport in the summer.
Council voted and the amendment passed unanimously.
Council also approved the 2022 to 2026 capital plan and the 2022 to 2026 utility capital plan.
Masters said there was a lot to learn from this year’s budget, she hopes next year council will be able to have a pre-budget meeting just about the five-year capital to help clarify the city’s reasoning for things.
“Rather than sit through that capital portion of the budget it would be good to have a briefing and understand what’s different from the last time we saw this, where have things moved in terms of timing,” she said.
