Activist Florence Stratton and lawyer Dan LeBlanc said the city’s omission of budget funding for homelessness after a council vote on the matter is “bad for democracy.”
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Dan LeBlanc says he’s passionate about “the homelessness issue” and he thinks the rest of his colleagues on Regina’s city council are as well.
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But the Ward 6 councillor, his colleagues, and everyone else will need to wait a little longer to hear what a judge thinks about the City of Regina administration not including funding to address the issue as a line item in the proposed 2023 budget.
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Although the matter came up briefly Tuesday in Court of King’s Bench, it’s been tentatively rescheduled to be heard on Dec. 13.
LeBlanc, acting in his capacity as a lawyer, is representing Regina activist Florence Stratton and fellow city councillor Andrew Stevens (Ward 3) in legal action, known as an originating appliction, against the city manager, Niki Anderson. The application seeks an order that the city manager include funding to end homelessness as a line item in the city’s proposed budget.
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Outside of court, LeBlanc told reporters the omission of the funding was “bad for democracy.”
“Council gave direction on what staff were meant to do. Staff expressly refused to include that money in the budget,” he contends.
At issue is a motion passed unanimously by council in June of 2022 that directed city administration to include in the proposed 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.”
When asked whether the legal action enjoys the support of his council colleagues, LeBlanc said he doesn’t know for certain.
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“I would think they’re also not impressed that the city manager isn’t doing what they voted to direct she ought to do, but I don’t know off hand, and I haven’t heard others than Mayor (Sandra) Masters publicly speak out against this action.”
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Last week, Masters told reporters council doesn’t mandate what administration recommends in its proposed budget, which is then debated by council. “We were asking for numbers to be considered,” she said regarding the original motion.
Asked about criticism toward the legal action, LeBlanc said he found it strange in the circumstances.
“It is surprising to me to see people more upset about a lawsuit than about our neighbours freezing to death on the street.
“It’s a time for justice rather than a time for niceties.”
Veteran city activist Stratton echoed LeBlanc somewhat on the matter being about democracy. “Citizens need to stand up,” she told reporters outside of court.
“We could lose democracy. We’ve seen it happen in other places.”
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As cold wind howled across the steps of the courthouse steps Tuesday, she made an appeal on behalf of the homeless forced to endure Regina’s often bitterly cold winters.
She threw criticism on a City initiative to provide a “warm up bus,” for the homeless, questioning where those who use it would find washroom facilities.
“Homeless people need homes,” she said.
Rather than “coming up with plans endlessly,” she said it’s time for the city to “do its bit” and she hopes the legal action may assist with that.
Speaking personally and not as mayor on the legal action last week, Masters had characterized it as having “tones of sexism” — a sentiment Stratton has already addressed, calling it “ridiculous.”
— with files from Alec Salloum
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