City of Regina Introduces New Budget Development Process

Mayor Chad Bachynski and City Administration introduced a new budget development process that will bring more transparency to the preparation of the 2026/27 City Budget.

"This new process brings residents into the budget conversation earlier and with greater transparency,” says Mayor Chad Bachynski. “It’s about helping people understand the tough choices we face and how Council and Administration are working together to build a budget that reflects Regina’s priorities. We are committed to openness, collaboration and making decisions that best serve our community now and into the future."

The new process kicked off today with the first in a series of informational, Special City Council Meetings. During the informational meetings, Administration and City Council will examine detailed forecasts for the cost of providing each civic service. This data will inform Council’s decision making as it finalizes the 2026/27 budget with deliberations set for December.

“The new process enables Administration to fulfill its mandate, which is to provide objective data and unbiased expertise to Council, supporting its decision-making authority,” said Acting City Manager Jim Nicol.

The forecasts prepared by Administration provide an estimate for the cost of meeting optimal service levels, but they are not a funding request nor an estimate of a potential mill rate increase. Rather, they represent a starting point from which City Council can work to make decisions that balance service quality and affordability.

The meetings will focus first on operational costs and civic services, with the latter ones dedicated to capital and utility forecasts. The full schedule can be found here.

Following the information sessions, Council will hear budget requests from service partners, such as the Regina Police Service and REAL, in October and November. Administration will then prepare a package of budget estimates, which will be tabled in November for budget deliberations.