Regina Minute: Budget Comments, Student Petition, and the Tax Increase Passes

Regina Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Regina politics

This Week In Regina:

• On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners. The Board will discuss statistics for the month of February - notably, there were 138 overdoses, 28 of which police attended.
  
  
• At 1:00 pm on Wednesday, there will be a meeting of City Council. The agenda includes changes to the Accessible Park Guidelines for new and ongoing playground projects. The updates include ensuring all playgrounds have accessible surfacing, increasing the number of accessible elements in neighbourhood playgrounds to 50%, and widening accessible play routes. Council will also discuss an amendment to the Zoning Bylaw to allow manufactured homes on vacant lots in several residential zones. The goal is to increase affordable and diverse housing options across the city.
  
  
• The Audit and Finance Committee will meet on Thursday at 4:00 pm. The sole item on the agenda is the Indigenous Procurement Policy.

Last Week In Regina:

• Council approved a 7.33% mill rate increase for 2025, marking the largest hike since at least 2013. The decision follows four days of budget discussions and results in a $859.3 million combined operating and capital budget. Along with the mill rate increase, a 5.82% utility rate increase for water, sewer, and drainage services was also approved. The combined changes will cost the average household an additional $316.92 annually. Despite efforts to reduce the budget, concerns over sustainability and funding allocations, particularly for the police and the Regina Exhibition Association, were raised during deliberations.
  
  
• Mayor Chad Bachynski commented on the provincial budget. He expressed satisfaction with the increase in Municipal Revenue Sharing - Regina will receive $56.6 million, an increase of $3.4 million. He also noted that the funding won't likely ever be enough in the eyes of municipalities. Bachynski highlighted the 20% increase in the Graduate Retention Program, which he says is crucial for retaining talent in the province. On healthcare, he welcomed the commitment to building a second Urgent Care Centre in Regina.
  
  
• A group of University of Regina students has started a petition to temporarily dissolve the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU), citing concerns over accountability and financial mismanagement. Organizers argue that some student voices are not being heard and that certain clubs receive funding more easily than others. The petition requires 850 signatures, and the group has already gathered 700. If successful, a student vote would determine whether URSU is temporarily dissolved while a forensic audit and constitutional review take place. URSU itself has not provided a response to the petition.