Saskatoon city admin. says hiring freeze could have 'unpredictable impact'
CTV
In a report before Saskatoon’s next special budget meeting, city administration is warning councillors that a hiring freeze could have an “unpredictable impact” on services.
In a report before Saskatoon’s next special budget meeting, city administration is warning councillors that a hiring freeze could have an “unpredictable impact” on services.
Councillors meet on Tuesday to plan the next multi-year budget and discuss a group of reports from administration outlining potential cuts and savings to address a shortfall of more than $70 million in the next two years.
Without intervention, Saskatoon residents would face a 17.33 per cent tax increase next year, according to Clae Hack, the city’s chief financial officer.
On June 14, councillors asked administration to report on the potential impact of a hiring freeze on all tax-funded full time staff position between 2023 and 2025.
The report, written by City Manager Jeff Jorgenson, says administration estimates it would need over 70 additional staff across all tax-funded departments in 2024-25 to maintain services, accounting for population growth and city expansion.
Jorgenson says the city could save an estimated $5.5 million by not hiring those workers in 2024-25, but the move would spread the current work force thin.
“For example, the parks division has requested 1.52 and 1.84 additional FTEs in 2024 and 2025 to mow and maintain the estimated 35.85 hectares of park and green space that is expected to be added to their inventory over the next two years. Not adding these staff would require parks to utilize existing staff to travel to and care for these new areas, which would reduce the time they have available to care for and maintain existing parks,” Jorgenson writes.
