Regina Minute: Issue 80

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

📅 This Week In Regina: 📅

• There will be a meeting of City Council on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. On the agenda is the City’s 2025 Reserve Review, which projects a significant decline in reserves, from $196.6 million in 2024 to $140.8 million by the end of 2025, and further to $63.4 million by 2029. The review is prompting recommendations to adjust reserve limits, create new reserves, and improve reporting. Key updates include increasing minimum and maximum balances for major reserves such as transit, fire, and asset revitalization, and allowing negative minimums for winter road maintenance and land development to accommodate timing and over-budget trends. Four new reserves are proposed: Sinking Fund, City Centre Incentive, Heritage Property Incentive, and Noise Attenuation. Reporting changes include removing the first-quarter report requirement and adding deferred revenue reporting for transparency. Comparatively, Regina remains below peer cities in per capita reserves but exceeds the minimum benchmark of 20% reserves to expenses, while its debt-to-reserve ratio is above the ideal 1:1 level but below the peer average.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is an application to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP). After a September 13th rainstorm, which caused flooding in Regina neighbourhoods and forced road closures, Council is being asked to approve a resolution allowing residents whose principal residences were damaged to apply for funding for uninsurable losses. PDAP covers essential repairs and replacement costs, with claimants responsible for 5% of eligible expenses and PDAP covering the remaining 95%. Eligible items include structural repairs, utilities, essential contents, temporary damage prevention, debris cleanup, and in exceptional cases, mold remediation, with maximum reimbursements of $240,000 for residences and up to $500,000 for small businesses and organizations. There is no cost to the City for the designation, and without approval, affected residents could not access PDAP assistance. Once approved, the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Branch will coordinate communications to inform residents about applying for assistance. This follows a similar PDAP designation approved in 2023 after previous heavy rainfall events.
  
  
• Council is also considering raising fees for recreational facilities, programs, and passes over the next three years, including a 50% surcharge for non-residents starting in 2026. The proposal aims to ensure that residents, who pay taxes supporting these facilities, receive priority access and to keep fees in line with inflation. Single admissions would rise from $7.21 to $7.50, and annual leisure passes from $527.31 to $548.40, while golf fees would see slightly higher increases. Non-resident registration would open a week later than resident registration to help manage waitlists. The changes are expected to generate about $2.2 million in additional annual revenue, with $41,000 estimated from the non-resident fee. Funds from golf fees would go toward course maintenance, while the rest would support the City’s general operating budget. 
  
  
• Council wrapped up its final early budget meeting, reviewing a projected $17.4 million shortfall in utility operating services for 2026, with estimated expenditures of $205.5 million versus $188.1 million in revenues. Administration suggested addressing the gap through higher utility rates, deferring capital projects, or taking on debt. Discussions highlighted the risks of deferring maintenance, particularly on water infrastructure, which could lead to more breaks and higher costs over time. The early budget process aimed to improve transparency and help Councillors better understand the complexities of City finances. Mayor Chad Bachynski and CFO Daren Anderson said the sessions were successful in providing a more detailed, holistic view of the budget and infrastructure needs.
  
  
• The Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) is seeing improvements in its financial position, according to CEO Rick Bennett, as the organization seeks Council approval to reallocate just over $1 million within its 2025 budget. The proposed adjustments would move $850,000 from debt-funding to operational expenses and $199,000 from 2024 capital funds to 2025 for facility maintenance, with no new City funding required. These reallocations aim to cover previously identified spending needs, including completing delayed 2024 projects like HVAC replacements, security upgrades, and digital signage. Bennett noted that lower-than-expected interest rates and cash flow adjustments reduce the need for debt funding. REAL has been under scrutiny since 2023 due to consecutive operating deficits, prompting more than $15 million in City top-ups and ongoing monthly financial reporting. The organization expects further financial improvements by year-end.

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