Saskatoon mayor ‘proud’ of budget with high property tax hikes

Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block says she’s proud of the city’s budget, despite unusually high property tax increases.

City council added to the spending bill on the fourth day of budget talks by opting to hire nine dedicated transit police Friday, which helped inflate the property tax increases.

Council settled on jumps of 6.7 per cent next year and 5.81 per cent in 2027 — the highest two-year rise in more than a decade since increases of 7.43 per cent in 2014 and 5.34 per cent in 2015.

The 2014 increase is regarded as the highest in history for city services in Saskatoon. 

“I’ll just say that I’m proud of the budget that we have created together and I think that it would be fair to say that we’ve all contributed to the numbers where they are at this moment,” Block said to wrap 26 and a half hours of budget debate.

“I didn’t win every vote either. And that’s the reality of our democracy.”

The increases ended up significantly lower than the original numbers released in June, which were 9.9 per cent and 7.34 per cent.

Yet two councillors, veteran Bev Dubois and rookie Robert Pearce, voted against the budget, saying the increases were too high and there was insufficient effort to reduce spending.

Council began Friday, which tied the record from 2023 by extending into a fourth day, with property tax increases at 6.17 per cent and 5.39 per cent. But council opted to add 11 new options to the operating budget, including the transit police, a new zookeeper and the cheapest of three options to enhance affordable housing incentives.

All those contributed to the inflated increases. For a median assessed single-family home worth $394,200, the budget amounts to $158.19 more next year and $146.45 extra in 2027.

In a new twist this year, council was presented with 108 options to trim back the tax increases through either reduced spending or services and increased revenue. But council only supported 45 of the measures; many were dismissed without even a debate.

As a result, Saskatoon bus fares will rise for the first time in more than a decade, as will fees at indoor rinks, golf courses and to license pets.

Veteran Coun. Randy Donauer, one of several councillors who announced he was dedicated to “core services,” said he was “saddened” to be discussing police for buses.

Donauer said if the incidents occurring on buses were happening at city hall, council would have taken action sooner.