A letter to the editor from Dan Cameron of Regina calls for the Saskatchewan provincial auditor to review the proposed deal between Brandt Industries and the City of Regina regarding the Agribition grounds. Brandt has offered $6.5 million to purchase several buildings on the property, including the Brandt Centre, which was built in 1977 at a cost of $7.7 million. The letter notes that the purchase price is less than the original construction cost of a single building, adjusted for inflation.
Tax exemptions and operating grants
The proposed deal would exempt Brandt from property taxes for five years. After that period, if city council does not approve further tax exemptions, the city would provide an operating grant equal to the taxes imposed on the purchased buildings. The letter describes this as effectively tax-free operation for the foreseeable future.
Comparison to earlier Wascana Centre proposal
The letter draws parallels to a previous Brandt initiative to build a four-story office building in Wascana Centre on land leased for $1 per year for 99 years. A provincial auditor later found that proposal violated laws governing Wascana Centre, leading to a lawsuit and an undisclosed settlement. The author suggests the current Agribition deal may similarly violate regulations governing REAL, the city's real estate arm.
The city's motivation is to avoid $79 million in operating and maintenance costs. The letter urges city council to have the provincial auditor review the deal before approval.
In a separate opinion piece, the author warns about the dangers of artificial superintelligence (ASI). Drawing on the example of social media algorithms that amplify negative emotions, the author argues that ASI, trained similarly, could be unpredictable and uncontrollable, posing risks to democracy and society.
