Saskatoon budget deliberations begin with projected 7.43 per cent tax hike

Budget deliberations in Saskatoon begin on Tuesday with a projected 7.43 per cent property tax increase for 2026.

That figure is down from 8.23 the per cent projected just a few weeks ago, and 9.9 per cent proposed in early June. For 2027, the proposed tax increase stands at 5.92 per cent, down slightly from an earlier projection of 5.95 per cent.

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According to a report prepared for council, an increase of 7.43 per cent would mean an extra $14.63 per month for a home assessed at $394,200, while the 2027 property tax increase of 5.95 per cent would mean another $12.53 per month on top of that.

The lower projections are the result of a big increase in the city’s assessment growth figure – the money the city takes in from things like construction, new property tax revenue and other upgrades, which is now estimated at $3.9 million, up from $1.4 million.

Clae Hack, Saskatoon’s chief financial officer, said earlier this month that while the numbers are still high, he is confident they can be lowered through new budget information and scenarios.

“This report will present over 100 options and budget levers for city council to consider, to reduce the property tax requirement,” Hack explained.

A report on those options outlined 106 budget-reduction scenarios. If council adopted all of them, it would save close to $9 million in 2026, and just over $13 million in 2027.

One of the options is to permanently close George Ward Pool in 2027, which is at the end of its lifespan and would need to be replaced in five years. That would save around $152,000.

Other big-ticket options for council to consider included raising the rates and fees for some city-run facilities, a move which could bring in $540,000 over two years. Council could also increase parking ticket fines to raise $500,000 in 2027 and could extend the city’s snow- and ice-clearing timelines to save about $800,000 over two years.

According to another report to council, the city could add as many as 98 new, full-time-equivalent employees in 2026 and 95 more in 2027. Of those, nearly 50 positions are requested by Saskatoon police. The rest would be for the Saskatoon Public Library, which is requesting a total of 14 new employees, along with other civic positions.

The cost for all of those new employees could add up to $19.6 million over two years, with $13.3 million of that to be funded by property taxes.

Budget deliberations are scheduled to continue through Thursday at Saskatoon City Hall.