Riders rent reduction a 'contractual matter', no legal threat: Reynolds
13h ago
The $1.33M rent reduction comes from what the club owed during seasons impacted by the pandemic.
City council is to begin deliberating the 2020 budget Monday evening.
Nearly 40 delegates are set to speak before council throughout the deliberations, having their say on topics ranging from transit to the rebuilding of Wascana Pool.
However, the majority of delegations are expected to talk in opposition of turning the Regent Park Golf Course into a recreation hub. All 19 delegates cite the removal of trees as reasons why they cannot support the redevelopment.
The mill rate
Council will also vote on how much taxes will go up next year.
Last month, city administration proposed a mill rate hike of 3.25 per cent. That would result in an extra $5.60 per month, or $67.20 per year, in taxes for a Regina homeowner with an assessed property value of $350,000.
Regardless of city administration touting it as the “lowest mill rate increase in a decade,” Mayor Michael Fougere said at the time he’d like to get it down under three per cent.
“I think we can do better,” Fougere told reporters following the proposed budget release.
Two delegations are set to share their views on the mill rate increase with council during deliberations — the Association of Regina Realtors and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
The city police budget
The Regina Board of Police Commissioners Budget is also on the agenda to be approved.
Police are proposing a net operating budget of $85,629,300. That includes expenditures of $96,028,900 and revenues of $10,399,600. It works out to an increase of $3,125,000 or 3.79 per cent over the 2019 budget.
The new money is set to go towards staffing four frontline police constables and six civilian positions — two communication centre dispatchers, a communications strategist, an intelligence analyst, a psychologist and a digital media assistant.
A few casual positions are also set to be created, including: A fleet garage attendant, a mentorship candidate, a summer student, a court information clerk and a corporate services worker.
Police are also looking to have $600,000 go towards “Grey Cup Special Duty assignments and equipment expenses” when Regina hosts the CFL championship next year.
However, Ward 10 Coun. Jerry Flegel finds the budget inadequate for the challenges and pressures facing police.
He said officers need more help to deal with a growing crystal meth problem in the city.
“With the influx in the crime rate, we need to take another look at (the budget), because people are talking,” Flegel said, adding he’s hearing concerns by both police and the public.
He noted he’s not sure what more is needed, but is putting forward a motion to have a discussion to find out.
Flegel wants to measure how the Regina Police Service fares in comparison to those in other Western Canadian cities.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Andrew Shepherd