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City of Regina administration has come out against a so-called living wage policy, warning that a floor of $16.95 per hour would “put significant pressure on taxpayers.”

The idea has been sitting on ice since May 2016, when former Coun. Shawn Fraser asked administration to research the implications of becoming a living wage employer.

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That would require the city and service partners like Regina Police Service (RPS) to pay workers enough to cover basic household expenses. It would also apply to contractors, at least for employees who do ongoing work on city-owned premises.

Fraser said he first pushed for a “conversation” on the issue after he spent a shift with a city parking officer. He heard that the officer was employed by a contractor and earned little money.

“What stuck with me is that those people weren’t even making a living wage for what seemed like a pretty crummy job,” he said.

More than two years later, Fraser will get his answer. It will come in a report set to come before council’s executive committee this Wednesday. Administration estimates the cost of such a policy would be at least $1.1 million per year. That’s the equivalent of a 0.5 per cent mill rate increase to property taxes.