Saskatoon City Council continues to look for ways to lessen the possible property tax hike over the next two years.
At a meeting in June, the city’s administration presented a report to Mayor Charlie Clark and 10 city councilors presenting a 3.94 and a 4.17 per cent property tax increase for 2020 and 2021 respectively.
The report notes the increases are “required in order to maintain existing eservices, correct the Waste Services budget and begin the phase-in funding required for a city-wide curbside organics program.”
Unsatisfied with the projected tax increases, council instructed the administration to target a lower increase for 2020 and 2021.
On Monday, council will review nine different options, mostly budget allocation tweaks that, if voted on and chosen, can lessen the property tax increase slated over the next two years.
Council approved six of the nine cost-cutting measures, including:
- Allocate a one-time federal Gas Tax payment to the Organics Program
- Allocate Multi-material Stewardship Western funding to the Waste Program
- Defer inflationary allocations to reserves
- Longer phase-in of cash for Remai Modern maintenance
- Defer Recovery Park debt repayment
- Longer phase-in of the Major Transportation Funding Plan
The changes will result in proposed tax increases dropping from 3.94 to 3.23 in 2020 and from 4.17 to 3.54 in 2021.
