Regina's mayor looks to make roads and pipes 'exciting' to get residents' buy-in on infratructure projects

With a city council full of rookie politicians, Regina's new mayor is aware that he's in for a challenge.

Chad Bachynski admits that he's had to approach everything about leading a city of more 230,000 people with an "open mind." 

He said he's still learning about the job, and working to forge relationships with the men and women bringing very different views to the horseshoe-shaped table at Regina city hall.

"We accept that we're not gonna agree on everything. What we did commit to is to explain our position, not to convince, necessarily, somebody to change their mind, but just to say, 'This is the why I feel this way' and come from a place of understanding," Bachynski said. 

"I think that's going to serve us well."

In a year-end interview with CBC, Bachynski laid out how he plans to govern, his priorities and how he plans to do it all with a sense of optimism.

Regina's previous city council was widely viewed as dysfunctional.

There were multiple code of conduct complaints filed against members, motions to introduce policies aimed at specific councillors, and meetings that lasted hours longer than necessary as frustrated politicians sparred with one another.

Bachynski said he wants the recently sworn-in council, which features eight rookie councillors and two veteran members, to avoid those pitfalls.

It's why the mechanical engineer and manager at SaskEnergy got into the mayoral race in the first place.

"There's some tactical things that I think everybody was frustrated with," Bachynski said.

Having lived in neighbourhoods across Regina, the 39-year-old said he felt occupying the top political seat in the city would allow him to have the biggest effect.

Even though Bachynski had no political experience before the campaign, beyond sitting on some boards and committees, he believes he's well suited to the job.

"I was the one that usually struck up a random conversation with people and now they're coming to me," he said.