Administration at city hall has found a way to trim Saskatoon’s proposed property tax increase before next week’s budget deliberations.
Councillors were expected to see a proposed 3.97 per cent rise in property taxes at budget deliberations, but adjustments by administrators since the preliminary budget was released earlier this month have dropped the number to 3.85 per cent.
The city says a $1.2-million increase in assessment growth, offset by changes to SaskPower rates and the proposed Saskatoon Police Service budget, led administration to the new figure.
The rise in assessment growth drops the proposed tax increase by 0.61 per cent, according to the city, but is offset by a 0.15 per cent increase tied to SaskPower changes and a 0.34 per cent increase attached to the police’s new proposed budget.
SaskPower’s proposed five per cent rate increase was recently reduced to 3.5 per cent, which the city says decreases Saskatoon’s revenue from Saskatoon Light and Power and SaskPower franchise fees.
The Saskatoon Police Service is asking for a $699,600 increase to the figures proposed earlier this month, according to the city.
Budget deliberations are expected to last from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2
