REGINA — The City of Regina is looking at improving its budget process for 2026/2027.
Council has previously expressed a desire to update the process due to a lack of time to process information, mostly in a week, and a lack of transparency.
“I feel like the last budget debate in March was a little bit hairy,” said Coun. Shobna Radons (Ward 7) during Wednesday’s executive committee meeting.
Coun. Mark Burton (Ward 4) noted how nine of 11 on those on council were new to the process and had to make quick decisions for the 2025 budget.
“We needed to make some decisions quite quickly [as] various processes for the city to be able to tender contracts need to occur in a hurry.“
Previous Regina budget processes have also received outside criticism, scoring an ‘F’ for the 2024 budget, per a C.D. Howe Institute report.
The report said the budget ”contained no public sector accounting standard (PSAS) consistent numbers and did not provide comprehensive numbers for its operating and capital spending.”
This new process looks at implementing a four-step plan to increase accountability, transparency and examination of services.
The first step is determining if operational and capital services levels can be maintained at the same rate with the funding received in 2025.
Through this process, administration will consider reviews of historical results, improvements and absorption, contractually obligated inflationary increases, and growth in service areas, including roadways and parks.
The second step is development and documentation of new budget requests.
“Departments will determine additional funding needed to support the business plans and strategic priorities of the city. These requests for new funding will document the cost and benefits of enhancing current approved service levels and/or adding new services,” per the report.
Once completed, council will then review operating and capital service level budgets as part of Step 3.
This step will give city council a chance to review:
- What services are currently being provided, and at what level.
- Who provides the service.
- The cost to provide that service.
- The increase in funding to maintain that service at its current level in 2026/2027.
In their report, city administration recommended special city council meetings held each week in September to complete this process.
As for the final process, this will begin in October when council hears from partners, including the Regina Public Library, Regina Exhibition Association Limited, and more, on their budget request for 2026/2027.
Upon hearing these requests, administration will compile the service partner requests, operating and capital budget, and new budget request into an “all in” document to be presented on November 12.
After, council will have a chance to discuss and debate the budget between December 17 and 19 for final approval.
Daren Anderson, City of Regina chief financial officer, said this process mirrors the one implemented in Saskatoon.
With more time, Anderson believes both council and residents can digest and understand the process for costs, mill rates, etc., better.
Council will finalize the approval of the report next week.
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