New Regina city manager faces court action over draft budget
A Regina city councillor and a community advocate are taking newly appointed city manager Niki Anderson to court over city administration's decision not to include an item on homelessness in the current proposed budget.
Coun. Dan Leblanc, who is also a lawyer, is representing Coun. Andrew Stevens and Florence Stratton in the unusual court application.
Leblanc said if this “originating application” filed at Court of King's Bench proves successful, a judge would direct the city manager, via an order, to include funding to end homelessness in the draft budget.
“That's what, I say, city council unanimously decided to do in June before the unelected city manager decided not to do so,” said Leblanc in an interview on Wednesday.
At issue specifically is a motion aimed at ending homelessness in Regina, which city council unanimously supported, in a June 15, 2022 vote. The motion reads that city administration include in the proposed 2023 budget: “Full operational funding to solve homelessness throughout the City using a housing first, supportive housing model. This draft funding is to be clearly demarcated in a line item of its own.”
But on Tuesday when the city unveiled its proposed 2023 and 2024 budgets, this item wasn't there. During budget talks, Barry Lacey, executive director of financial strategy and sustainability, explained the homelessness initiative wasn't included because of the potential impact on the mill rate, an estimated 21 per cent required hike.
“As administration we are tasked with providing our best advice to provide a balanced budget that ensures city operations and infrastructure are funded and that council priorities are being met in a way that's affordable to taxpayers,” he said.
The thrust of the court application, filed this week, is that the city council directed city administration to include this matter in the budget, which is at the point still merely a proposed budget that will be subject to debate, discussion and amendments in December. At present, the motion is set for a Nov. 29 court date.
Leblanc said regardless of anyone's opinions on the motion, “it is up to elected city council members, not the unelected city manager or chief financial officer to make these sorts of policy decisions.”
“We plainly told them to put that money in the draft budget,” said Leblanc.
Looking at the proposed cost of the program, Leblanc took issue with some of the projections.
According to administration, the cost to end homelessness in Regina is “$98 million in capital investment and approximately $25 million in annual operating costs.”
The plan as presented includes building 488 new homes for the estimated 488 people experiencing homelessness in the city.
To fund this the city would require to increase the mill rate by 21 per cent, according to administration.
“I think that number is grossly inflated,” Leblanc maintains, suggesting vacant Regina Housing Authority units could be renovated and used in lieu of building new homes.
Leblanc said it reads as if the city is trying to justify why this motion is untenable. He bristles at the notion that the city would be wholly responsible for the funding, suggesting there's also money from the provincial and federal governments.
Regarding comments made by Mayor Sandra Masters on Tuesday, saying that the city funding this plan would be an overreach, Leblanc suggested that's an argument better left to budget talks.