At Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, the City of Regina gave residents a look at what the upcoming budget could feature.

City administration provided an update on the development of the City’s first multi-year budget, revealing a primary mill rate increase of 4.02 per cent in 2023 and 3.96 per cent in 2024.

The update also included a preliminary utility rate increase of 4.5 per cent in 2023 and four per cent in 2024.

Those increases will help maintain the status quo and also help fund upgrades to the Buffalo Water Treatment Plant and help fund the water utility rate rebate program.

The mill rate for this year was 3.40 per cent, and the utility rate was five per cent.

Barry Lacey, the executive director of financial strategy and sustainability, stated that the rates are just preliminary and intended as a starting point of conversation for council, not a final decision.

The update comes after the City conducted a pre-budget survey from April 28 to May 11, receiving 1,604 respondents.

Of the responses, the top three priorities for spending were road construction and repair, public safety/crime / policing and recreation/culture facilities and programs.

Also noted in the survey was a reduction in taxes and controlled spending, which the City heard six times more than any other comment in the open-ended questions portion.

City administration will continue its public engagement on the budget this autumn. In November, service partners will submit their proposed budgets, and in late November, the proposed budget will be released with budget deliberations and approval, then in mid-December.