Donauer doesn’t expect to like the answers, but wants options for cutting spending
With budget talks looming, Saskatoon’s finance committee is looking for ways to save money.
The City is looking at proposed indicative property tax rate of 5.96 per cent in 2022 and 5.42 per cent in 2023.
A city report says those numbers include phase-in funding for both the Bus Rapid Transit and the solid waste and organics program and maintaining existing services.
The indicative rate can be changed during City Council budget deliberations, which are scheduled for November.
During a special finance committee meeting on Tuesday, city administration said non-tax revenues have not kept up with expenditures which is putting more pressure on property taxes to make up the shortfall.
Coun. Randy Donauer voiced concerns about the proposed property tax increases considering how many residents and businesses have struggled since the pandemic began.
“I do think that there is an appetite, until we get through this and there is a healthy economy in Saskatoon, I think that City Hall might need to take more drastic measures. And so I’m more on the page of let’s bring some of our expenditures down.”
Donauer wants to know what options there are to reduce spending, which may include looking at service levels.
“I would like some reports back with some options. I’m probably not going to like that report. And it probably will create no small stir in the community. It usually does. But I actually do think I owe it to my residents to debate and decide those tough decisions.”
Mayor Charlie Clark said he understands the budget challenges the city is facing.
“I hear and see and experience the stress of what were facing when it comes to this budget coming up. And I also take very seriously the reality of the structural issues that we’re facing.”
Clark noted the last couple of property tax increases have been relatively low compared to previous years.
The committee approved a motion from Donauer asking administration to report back on what other cities like Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg have done to reduce property tax increases.
Coun. Bev Dubois put forward a motion for administration to report back on capital and operational spending approved by city council not related to core services, which was also passed by the committee.
A date for a future special finance committee meeting will be set to discuss the information in those reports.
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.