REGINA - With the provincial budget released, Regina has been directly impacted by increases in funding.
Through the provincial Municipal Revenue Sharing, which is intended to help build community infrastructure, Regina will receive $56.6 million, an increase of $3.4 million from 2024.
With these numbers, Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said, "we're going to work closely with our administration to allocate these dollars accordingly to initiatives that either are underfunded or that require funding."
Even with this funding, Bachynski noted it won't likely ever be enough in the eyes of municipalities.
As for other parts of the budget, the Grad Retention Program (GRP) benefit increased by 20 per cent to a maximum of $24,000.
This "provides a tax rebate to eligible post-secondary graduates who live and file income tax in Saskatchewan," according to the government.
The idea is to keep people in the province, helping build on the economy. For Bachynski, the increase is "incredibly important."
As for healthcare, the provincial government is committed to building a second Urgent Care Centre (UCC) in the city.
The UCC has provided a huge relief for Regina’s hospitals, treating over 100 patients a day. Additionally, the centre has aided nearly 800 patients dealing with mental health and drug addictions.
One area not mentioned in the provincial budget for Regina is the development of a new school.
Oversized classrooms have been a talking point for the city. For example, hundreds of children from the Harbour Landing School are transported to Dr. A.E. Perry School and Ethel Milliken School.
While a new joint school in Regina was announced in Sept., there was no timeline for getting shovels in the ground.
At the time, Adam Hicks, Regina Public School Board Trustee for Subdivision 3, called the slow process "extremely frustrating"
With the need for more schools, Bachynski said, "It's definitely an area that I'm interested in trying to investigate."
