Saskatoon projects $13M in surpluses, could the money go to taxpayers?
After lengthy budget talks last week, where city councillors spent nearly 30 hours searching for savings, there's a new twist.
The City of Saskatoon is anticipating a $3 million operating surplus and a $10.9 utility surplus at the end of this year.
The financial boost is attributed to stronger revenues in wastewater and water services, more people riding the bus — increasing transit revenue projections — and savings on snow removal this season.
The city also found savings in deferred hiring, training costs and the closure of the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre.
Coun. Darren Hill wants taxpayers to benefit from the extra money.
Hill suggests the $10.9 million surplus associated with Saskatoon Light and Power be re-invested into the infrastructure, and the surplus from the other utilities should go to residents.
"The utilities surplus from water, wastewater and garbage should be a rebate back to the residents. We should not be profiting off of those utilities. That should be cost recovery," Hill told CTV News.
"We're taxing them to death and we have so many utility charges for them."
Currently, any extra profit from utilities is put in a reserve fund. That same fund is tapped in years where there's a utilities-related financial loss.
The surpluses come after tthe city grappled with a funding shortfall for 2024 and 2025. After four days of budget deliberations, councillors agreed to raise property taxes 6.04 per cent next year — the highest hike in 10 years.
During an interview, CTV News asked Mayor Charlie Clark specifically if he would be in favour of using the $3 million operating surplus to reduce the property tax burden.
"That would not be a responsible way to deal with a one-time surplus," Clark responded.
"Of course it's nice to get relief, but the more responsible thing to do would be to make sure we've got a little bit more money in our stabilization reserve," Clark said.
"Make sure that we're not taking one-time funds to try and address property taxes. Maybe there's some solution there. But I certainly don't think the right thing to do is to take it all there. Politically, it might be the right idea, but in terms of good governance and trying to make sure that we're running the city well, it’s just going to create a risk for the next years of council."
The city's governance and priorities committee is set to discuss the surplus in a meeting on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE UPDATES 'Hopefully it's better than what we're thinking': Jasper wildfire damage details anxiously awaited
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'