Saskatoon councillors expand paid parking, cut community funding to trim budget
CTV
Saskatoon city councillors found some modest savings Tuesday in the third special budget meeting this summer to grapple with budget shortfalls in 2024 and 2025.
Saskatoon city councillors found some modest savings Tuesday in the third special budget meeting this summer to grapple with budget shortfalls in 2024 and 2025.
After eight hours, the special budget committee whittled out another $1.1 million from the the city's projected 2024 $52 million shortfall, largely by lowering contributions for community grants and special events.
That's on top of $21.6 million zapped last month by councillors, largely by deferring spending to future years. The recommendations won't be finalized until the budget deliberation process starts in November.
In total, the funding gap has been reduced by $25.8 million in 2024 and $2.3 million in 2025.
Without further reductions, which is unlikely given the budget items yet to be debated, property taxes would need to increase by 8.54 per cent in 2024 and 6.04 per cent in 2025.
Speaking to the committee yesterday North Saskatoon Business Association executive director Keith Moen was critical of the choice to delay spending, recounting how deferred spending led to a road tax levy — in addition to property taxes — in 2014.
"The lesson learned there is that you can't really get away from doing the appropriate planning, spending and maintenance. It catches up with you in the end," Moen said.