Regina to hold referendum on how to fund infrastructure project
by The Canadian Press
The referendum will decide if the city will fund a project through a private-sector partnership
REGINA—Voters in Regina will cast ballots in a referendum on funding for an upgrade to the city’s waste-water treatment plant.
City council voted unanimously Monday night to go ahead with a referendum on the issue, despite a city clerk’s office ruling last week that there weren’t sufficient signatures on a petition calling for a vote.
Mayor Michael Fougere made the motion for the referendum, and told reporters before the meeting that it was needed because there was clearly a desire for the public to have its say.
Regina Water Watch spent a month collecting signatures to try to trigger a binding vote on the $224-million project, which currently calls for the work and maintenance to be done through a city partnership with the private sector.
Fougere says he expects a referendum will cost in the range of $200,000 to $400,000.
It has yet to be decided when the vote will be held.
