City council gambled — and won

Though supporters of the “Yes” side no doubt are disappointed by the outcome of this week’s referendum on how to finance, build and manage a new sewage treatment plant, there’s good news overall.

This was democracy at its imperfect best: Large numbers of people signed a petition seeking a referendum. City council refused to hide behind a technicality and instead let this petition work its way through the democratic system. Its reward: A hefty vote in favour of building it via a public-private partnership (P3).

Reginans got a quick, if imperfect, education in P3s. And in the end, the turnout was impressive, especially considering that participation in municipal elections has

UNAMBIGUOUSLY, REGINA CITY COUNCIL CAN PURSUE THIS P3.

been dwindling for decades.

There’s been much post-game political quarterbacking about the advertising done by both the city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees — and the federal government’s insistence in tying its $58.3-million grant to using a P3. Fair enough — but remember that all these decisions were made by politicians and union leaders democratically elected to do what they feel to be right. And with 57 per cent of the votes backing the pro-P3 stand taken by all members of city council — who, incidentally, cover a wide swath of the political spectrum, from right to left — it can rightly say it has a strong mandate to go forward.

This newspaper urged Reginans to vote for the P3 because of the up-front financial advantages offered by Ottawa’s grant, which reduces pressure on taxes.

But whatever the result, the job of Reginans would have been to accept the will of the majority and move on.

So while city hall goes forward with finding a partner for this important project, let’s hope the interest in municipal politics that this campaign generated stays alive — and perhaps grows — as future referendums and elections approach.