Proposed tax hike in Saskatoon draws criticism from pundits
Tax increases proposed on Wednesday for Saskatoon’s next multi-year budget are drawing criticism from the business community.
The proposed increases are intended to address a funding gap of more than $52 million in 2024 and another $23 million in 2025. The city's chief financial officer called it “pretty unprecedented.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the city needs to adopt a culture of cutting and saving money. Spokesperson Todd MacKay suggests city councillors may have to prepare for painful cuts.
“A big part of the problem is that the government is not looking for ways to save money, it needs to do more work to do that. Thats the fundamental problem, and before they even floated this number, they needed to gain some credibility by making some tough decisions like every single family has done in their home budgets,” said MacKay.
Mayor Charlie Clark defended the city’s position in an interview with CTV Morning Live, citing residual costs from the pandemic, and weakened buying power from inflation that accounts for more than $30 million in the budget deficit.
Clark does say that closing the funding gap will likely result in noticeable cuts in services.
“The challenge is we’ve already been trying to lean down the city, and we’re already the most competitive city when it comes to commercial taxes in the country, for example,” said Clark.
“We don’t have a lot of room to cut without having an impact on citizens in their day to day life.”
The Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce says inflation can’t be the only issue, since cities with the same challenges like Edmonton and Calgary have run a budget surplus.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Auston Matthews returns for Game 7, but Leafs minus injured goaltender Joseph Woll
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews returned to the lineup for Game 7 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.