It's official: Regina's next mayor, city council sworn in Monday night

Regina’s next mayor and city council council have been officially sworn-in to office.

A traditional ceremony Monday night at Henry Baker Hall confirmed the 2024 civic election results, bringing in the city’s 36th Mayor Chad Bachynski, two re-elected councillors, Shanon Zachidniak (Ward 8) and Jason Mancinelli (Ward 9) and eight first-time councillors.

Mayor Bachynski said he’s still getting used to his new title five days after being elected.

“[It’s set in] a little more than yesterday,” he told reporters following the ceremony. “It will take some time but settling in is getting to work.”

“It’s been a whirlwind, but we’re all excited,” Bachynski added.

Each of the 10 councillors and mayor swore their oath to office. Pledging to, “truly, faithfully and impartially, to the best of [their] knowledge and ability, perform the duties of [the] office,” and to so ethically.

Ward 9 Coun. Jason Mancinelli read the oath for a third time Monday.

“I feel very honored to be one of only two returning to council,” he told CTV News. “Some of the tension that was felt on the council floor spilled over through the election and people sensed probably they wanted a big change.”

“To survive a change like that humbles me,” he added.

Ward 1 Coun. Dan Rashovich and Ward 6 Coun. Victoria Flores are two of eight new councillors.

“I’m excited,” Rashovich, the former Saskatchewan Roughrider said. “I want to do better for the city, for the ward I live in. And to have us work as a team to try and do good things for Regina.”

“[All councillors] can all bring great ideas with a focus and purpose,” Flores said. “And really working for our city and making things great or listening to our constituents and get things done in a way that will bring all of us together and as a collective, collaborative, council.”

Despite the election’s results now being official, candidates and voters have until Nov. 27th to request a vote recount.

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As of Monday afternoon, no requests had been made, according to the city.

The new mayor and council finished the ceremony with a law-abiding first official council meeting to accept the results of the election.

Members will now go through some extensive training sessions put on by the city clerk and administration ahead of their first Executive Committee meeting Dec. 4 and first “real” council meeting Dec. 11.

City budget deliberations are scheduled for the following week.