REGINA - With the 2025 budget finalized, Mayor Chad Bachynski had the chance to reflect on the four-day process.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bachynski said with nine new council members, there was a lot of navigating happening through the process.
Throughout the budget week, there were tense moments with councillors as their ideals clashed.
Councillors like George Tsiklis (Ward 2), Dan Rashovich (Ward 1), and Clark Bezo (Ward 10) pushed to find any savings in the operation portion of the budget.
However, they were met with push-back from other councillors about reducing funding for items like bike lanes or equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) staffing.
Bachynski himself isn’t worried about it, mentioning they’re going to be passionate conversations.
"Administration is putting their best foot forward in terms of what they understand the need is, [while] council is trying to pull the information that they're getting from community members. That’s how it’s supposed to happen."
Some of what city council had to decide in this budget came from previous city council decisions. This includes items like the Regina Public Library’s (RPL) request for a 5.5 per cent dedicated mill rate or the lack of increase in the utility mill rate over the past five years, which didn’t match the soaring costs of inflation.
Bachynski said there was a little bit of weight lifted off his shoulder with these decisions out of the way, as city council can focus on the 2026 and 2027 budget.
What to expect
When the Regina Police Service (RPS) presented its 2025 budget on Monday, it mentioned that its proposed mill rate for 2026 is currently roughly 2.20 percent.
Meanwhile, the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) saw a budget decrease of $1.5 million, as their operations will likely remain at "status quo" for 2025, unless something dramatic happens.
This could mean REAL presents council in Dec. with another large mill rate increase.
If you factor in the 2.01 dedicated mill rate for capital projects like the Indoor Aquatics Facility (IAF), Regina will likely be presented with at least a 6 percent property tax hike for 2026.
Looking to the next budget, Bachynski said the next nine months will be very important for preparations.
"It'll give us time to get even more prepared, and we'll have our strategic plan set and be able to sit down with administration to make sure everybody's clear on what that path forward [is]."
