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.

• 'Record breaking': $297M announced for Sask. municipal revenue sharing program

“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.

• 'Not ideal for anyone': Regina Public Schools to move 200 students from Harbour Landing School

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.

• Sask. sees largest population increase in over a century

“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.