SASKATOON -- Coming out from a flurry of questions and debate from city council, the Saskatoon Public Library was given the green light for its new downtown central library, but council slashed the amount it would borrow by $20-million.
“We’re ecstatic,” said SPL board chair Lisa Erickson. “It means the central library we’ve known we’ve needed in Saskatoon for 20 years will become a reality and we hope to deliver that project in 2026.”
In what is the biggest budget item in 2020, SPL was asking city council to borrow $87.5 million as part of a $153-million dollar funding plan for a new central library to replace the existing Frances Morrison Library downtown.
While many councillors expressed concern over the price tag of the library, and the city administration’s report which noted the city does have the capacity to borrow $87.5 million for the library project. However, it says current debt projections don't include borrowing for other major projects in the future such as a downtown arena.
In an effort to reduce the amount of borrowing the city would have to add to its debt limit, Coun. Darren Hill put forward the motion to allow the city to borrow $67.5 million rather than the $87.5 million requested.
Councillors Mairin Loewen, Troy Davies and Zach Jeffries put forward different borrowing figures; Davies coming in at the lowest at $35 million and Loewen with the highest at $76.3 million in borrowing. But once the call to vote came, Hill’s motion was supported by Mayor Charlie Clark, Hillary Gough, Loewen, Sarina Gersher and Cynthia Block carrying on a six-to-five vote.
“We are also deeply committed in ensuring Saskatoon shapes this library and I am committed as are my board members to building this library with Saskatoon so we look forward to seeing what they imagine for this new space,” Erickson said.
Opposition to the library came from Councillor Troy Davies who raised concerns about the lack of concepts and designs for the new central library. He compared it to being a co-signer on a mortgage that hasn’t seen the house yet.
“You’re asking for the best building Saskatoon can build, from sizes, amenities and different spaces, and that’s your job,” he said. “If this was the only item on the table, this is a no-brainer, the fact is, it’s not so I have to pick and choose.”
Coun. Ann Iwanchuk echoed her colleagues in saying she was concerned the city would be borrowing too much for this project. She lamented how it would have been helpful if the city’s administration had a report outlining priority projects for the city as a whole. But that report was unavailable.
“We are putting other projects at risk and that concerns me,” Iwanchuk said. “I’ve heard loud and clear that the borrowing ask is too high. There are concerns about the levy and I get this is a very desirable project and the proposed library ... we’re not in a financial position to lend that amount of money.”
The levy Iwanchuk referred to is the dollar-amount the city will be adding to the library portion of property taxes. For an average assessed household valued at $371,000 in Saskatoon, they would be paying $4.93 per household each year, between 2020 and 2026. Those per household levies in 2026 would equal $57.57 per household to bolster the libraries capital and operating budget of $7.74 million in 2026.
When asked how the library justifies this increased levy on ratepayers in the city, Erickson said the net benefits of investing in social infrastructure are beneficial for the entire city.
“We also know that patrons have saved millions by borrowing from SPL and will continue to do so well into the future".Erickson said.
Coun. Randy Donauer expressed how he’s heard there’s “capital spending fatigue” in the city and while he supports a new health downtown library, council is being asked to manage a budget for an entire city and council has to be careful trying to be all things to all people.
Donauer pointed to half a billion dollars of unfunded capital project listed in the 2020/2021 budget plan, which to him means “there’s half a billion dollars in projects we’re not even considering.” “I support the need for a nice new sufficient-sized library. I have a little bit of sticker shock … this is a little too rich for me,” he said.
More police officers added
City Council also approved the hiring of 11 new police officers for 2020 and four additional officers in 2021 at budget deliberations on Monday.
Eight of the officers are in response to a supervised consumption site slated to open in Saskatoon’s Pleasant Hill neighbourhood - an area already a source of many calls - though Saskatoon Police Service Chief Troy Cooper said he would still be making the ask even if it wasn't.
“We have an increased level of calls, increased seriousness of calls and there are challenges this budget will address,” he told council. “If it turns out we require less officers in the area, then it means we could deploy them elsewhere.”
The additional eight officers will cost $1.6 million over the next two years.
He told Coun. Sarina Gersher service would be degraded if the eight officers weren't approved.
“We expect to see increased calls of all types in the area. We likely wouldn’t have a proactive response, it would be reactive.”
Cooper said his goal is to have eight officers patrolling the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, though officers would not run security there.
His officers would be responding to calls to the site as well as responding to calls in the Pleasant Hill area, an area that currently pulls resources from other areas of the city, he said.
Cooper also pointed out how Saskatoon is below the national standard of 185 police officers per 100,000 population, at 173 officers per 100,000.
These increases in frontline staff would put Saskatoon at 176 officers per 100,000, he said.
The police budget also includes more support staff, including communications staff, a clinical psychologist and a programmer analyst.
