Regina Minute: Issue 76

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• There will be a Special City Council meeting today at 9:00 am. This is the first of a series of Special Council Meetings set to address the budget. (More on this below!) During this meeting, Council will review the 2026-2027 Preliminary Service Forecast for public-facing services. A report will provide preliminary revenue and expenditure estimates for maintaining existing civic services to an optimal standard. Service areas covered include transportation, transit, fire services, community standards, solid waste management, recreation and cultural services, parks and open spaces, cemeteries, golf courses, City facilities, and fleet management. The preliminary forecast provides a transparent overview of costs, helping Council understand and prioritize expenses before formal budget decisions. Essentially, it acts as an early draft of the City’s financial plan, laying out the costs of maintaining current service levels.
  
  
• Speaking of the new budget process, the City is introducing a new budget planning process for 2026-27 aimed at improving transparency for both council and residents. For the first time, detailed financial forecasts on City operations will be shared in pre-budget meetings throughout September, before a full budget book is released. Chief Financial Officer Daren Anderson explained that the reports will provide context on service costs and expense prioritization, helping Council understand the City’s financial position before formal budget requests are made. Five special Council meetings have been scheduled (one is taking place today as noted above), covering operational costs, public-facing services, community-building programs, capital spending, and utilities. The new process focuses solely on City operations and does not include partners like the Regina Police Service or REAL. A full budget book will still be presented in November ahead of final deliberations in December.
  
  
• The City of Regina is projecting a $44.7-million shortfall in its 2026 budget, with expected revenues of approximately $511 million and expenditures of around $555 million. To address the gap, the City may consider a 13.5% mill rate increase unless alternative funding sources are identified. Major revenue sources include property taxes, fees, government grants, and internal cost recoveries, while significant expenditures cover transit, fire and protective services, road maintenance, recreation, waste management, and capital investments. Additional costs are driven by salary increases, facility maintenance, fleet upgrades, and contributions to reserves for fire and transit fleets. Governance and administrative services are also seeing notable increases, particularly in communications, financial management, and senior leadership.
  
  
• Last week, Council approved borrowing $115 million to complete the east-side Water Network Expansion, a project deemed critical for the city’s growing east and northeast neighbourhoods. The loan, structured as a 30-year debenture at 4.95% interest, will require annual payments of $7.6 million starting in 2026, which could be funded through a proposed 2.32% mill rate increase. Council emphasized that delaying investment in water infrastructure would be more costly in the long term. The project, nearly 95% complete, includes a new pump station and two reservoirs, and some of the borrowed funds will also support roadway improvements and water main upgrades. City officials noted that reserves are insufficient to cover the costs, making borrowing and a potential tax increase the most viable options. Council approved the debt 8-1. The mill rate increase still requires final approval as part of the 2026 operating budget.

• A regular meeting of City Council will take place on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. Council will receive the Fire Master Plan Update - an annual overview of Regina Fire & Protective Services’ (RFPS) progress on the 25-year Fire Master Plan (FMP). The report is informational, with no immediate funding requests, and highlights phased implementation of eight strategic areas, including regional partnerships, emergency preparedness, diversity and inclusion, safety, training, technology, and future service expansion. Key projects include the upcoming construction of Fire Station #8, targeted for late 2026, and early planning for Station #9 with a 2030 opening. RFPS continues to invest in workforce development, recruitment, training, and diversity initiatives, while leveraging technology upgrades and a shared Records Management System. Partnerships with agencies such as the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Regina Police Service are being strengthened, and public engagement and safety education remain priorities.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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