Regina mayor happy with municipal revenue sharing in provincial budget
Regina’s Mayor Sandra Masters said money in Wednesday’s 2023-24 provincial budget for revenue sharing is something that will be a great injection into the city’s own budget.
The province announced earlier this month that municipal revenue sharing would be a record $297 million in 2023-24.
Premier Scott Moe said at the recent SARM convention that was a $36 million increase from last year.
“I think when you get almost a 13 and a half per cent increase in a transfer payment from PST that’s big news and a great injection into our budget,” Masters said.
Masters said as the city continues to struggle with social issues she was also pleased to see some investment into mental health and addictions.
“Investment in schools and investment in mental health and addictions and second stage housing, we’re struggling with some of those social issues that every other city is so to see some investment there is fantastic.”
As part of a $6.9 billion dollar health budget the province said that $518 million would be invested in mental health and addictions this fiscal year.
Masters said she also believes there was enough funding in the education budget that will allow the city to address some issues in the education system.
“I believe so and we should have an announcement shortly on one of those issues. We’re going to continue working with the school boards and with the province to make sure that our students can go to schools in close proximity to them,” Masters said.
The 2023-24 education budget was earmarked at $3.1 billion.
Earlier this month a decision was made to move 200 students out of Harbour Landing School in Regina because of ongoing overcrowding issues.
The students will be moved to Ethel Millken school about two kilometres away.
POPULATION
Before the budget was released the province announced that Saskatchewan saw it’s biggest population jump since 1914 in 2022.
According to the province, Statistics Canada estimates that 29,307 people moved to Saskatchewan last year, bringing the population to 1,214,618.
Masters said Regina is seeing its fair share of those new residents.
“Yes we are getting our fair share of new residents,” she said. “Keeping them and having amenities and quality of life are important.”
Masters said she feels on a housing standpoint the city has some work to do in conjunction with industry and developers to get more homes available for new residents coming to Regina.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.