$98.1M Regina police budget approved for 2023 by city council

The Regina Police Service (RPS) requested increased budgets for both 2023 and 2024 during deliberations on Wednesday – with an operating budget of more than $98 million approved in 2023.

The 2023 budget was approved in a seven to four decision on Wednesday afternoon, with councillors Stevens, Leblanc, Stadnichuk and Zachidniak voting against.

The city’s police service will receive a net operating budget of $98,123,200 for 2023. This is based off of an estimated $110,088,600 in gross expenditures and $11,965,400 in projected revenue.

The increase follows an approximately $4 million raise in RPS’s net operating budget last year, totaling $92.8 million in 2022.

The 2023 net operating budget marks an increase of $5,326,500, or 5.7 per cent, over RPS’s 2022 budget.

For 2024, RPS’s net operating budget will total $103,820,700. Gross expenditures are estimated to be $111,088,600 while revenues make up the $11,747,500 difference.

The increase in the service’s net operating budget from 2023 to 2024 equals $5,697,500 or 5.8 per cent.

The 2024 budget, which was filed and received unanimously by council, will need to be officially approved in Dec. of 2024.

“What our ask is, it’s really about trying to get our resources to the level that they match the requests from the public,” Evan Bray, chief of RPS, told reporters on Wednesday.

The planned personnel additions will complete the RPS’s growth plan, which began in 2020.

Investment in officer well-being and supports were also a priority for the service, with RPS adding a second psychologist as well as a physiotherapist to its staff.

“We know that there’s lots of challenges in policing, both from a mental and physical health perspective,” Bray said.

“So this budget request will give us the opportunity to dig into that, keep our members healthy, which in turn will help those service requests we get from the community.”

Several delegates spoke during council proceedings on Wednesday, arguing that additional funding to the RPS should be allocated to issues such as homelessness.

“Why do we think that the police will effective in making up for a real world system that is clearly full of bugs?” Regina resident Dillon Forsberg asked.

“Deny the Regina Police Service its request for a budget increase and instead use that money to fulfill the promises you have already made to work towards ending homelessness in our great city,” he added.

Bray told reporters that the debate over taking funding away from policing and putting it toward other causes, such as homelessness, is not a binary decision.

“I really, firmly do not believe this is an ‘either or’ discussion,” he said.

“Our officers deal with these complex, social issues in our community each and every day. Taking them away, knowing they are the only entity out there right now that is dealing with them, 24/7, is only going to have adverse effects.”

Regina’s city council began its deliberations over the 2023-2024 annual budgets on Wednesday.

It marks the first time a multi-year budget has been introduced by city council.

The two-year plan outlines increases to the mill rate and utility prices for residents, while several city services will receive bumps in funding.

Over 100 delegates from a wide array of organizations, special interest groups and other entities around Regina are set to give presentations over the next three days.

Budget deliberations are set to conclude on Dec. 16 at city hall.

BACK TO BACK MILL RATE INCREASES

Regina residents can expect mill rate increases in both 2023 and 2024.

An increase of 4.67 per cent is expected in 2023 while a 4.66 per cent increase is anticipated in 2024.

According to the city, inflation was a main determining factor when proposing the increases.

For the average home valued at $315,000, this would mean an increase of $8.72 per month in 2023 and $9.11 per month in 2024, the city said in a release.

The city is allocating 2.29 per cent of revenue in 2023 and 2.18 per cent in 2024 from the mill rate increases toward civic operations.

Another 0.5 per cent of the mill rate increase revenue will support the city’s Recreation Infrastructure Program.

While 1.88 per cent in 2023 and 1.98 per cent in 2024 will be allocated to RPS, according to a City of Regina news release.

UTILITY RATES

City council will look to approve increases in utility rates for Regina residents.

A 4.5 per cent in 2023 is expected, followed by a four per cent increase in 2024.

For the average homeowner this would mean an additional increase of $87.94 in 2023 and $79.29 in 2024.

CITY OPERATING BUDGET

The city’s proposed operating budget for 2023 is estimated to total $542,212,000.

This marks an increase of $30,242,000 year over year or an increase of 5.9 per cent from 2022.

The operating budget for 2024 is slated to total $563,746,000.

The year over year increase from 2023-24 is smaller at $21,534,000 or 3.9 per cent.

Operational funding for Economic Development Regina (EDR) will increase in 2024, according to the proposed budget.

Funding for the Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) and REAL District will remain unchanged from 2023-24.

2023:

• Provincial Capital Commission: $2,719,000
• Economic Development Regina: $1,695,000
• REAL District: $2,010,000

2024:

• Provincial Capital Commission: $2,719,000
• Economic Development Regina: $1,995,000 (17.6 per cent increase)
• REAL District: $2,010,000

CAPITAL BUDGET

The City of Regina’s capital budget will see a decrease between 2023 and 2024.

The city estimated that its gross expenditures for 2023 will total $157,101,000, while 2024 is projected to total $141,973,000.

This marks a $15,128,000 reduction in gross expenditures or a 10.6 per cent decrease.

The city outlined in a news release that $1.25 billion will be spent on infrastructure renewal over the next five years.

$741 million will be allocated for general fund capital projects while $510 million will be spent on utility fund capital projects.

UTILITY BUDGET

The city’s utility operating budget will see a year over year increase, according to the 2023-24 proposal.

Regina’s utility operating budget for 2023 is listed as $166,491,000, while 2024 totals $174,135,000. This equals out to an increase of 4.5 per cent or $7,644,000.