Murray Wood: Bad budget forecasting becoming a pattern in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's revised deficit is now sitting at $427M after the provincial government budgeted for a surplus in the spr...
Budget deliberations opened on day two in Saskatoon with presentations from representatives at Remai Modern, SaskTel Centre and TCU Place.
At Remai Modern, there will be no request for new employees in the next two-year budget cycle, but according to Keegan McShane, director of finance, there is a need to start planning for capital costs, including equipment that’s near the end of its life.
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In 2026, there is an expected operating budget surplus of $138,445, while in 2027, the projected surplus will be $150,600.
SaskTel Centre will post a modest profit — of around $1.35 million this year — with projected net earnings of $964,000 for 2026 and $825,000 for 2027.
Meantime, TCU Place is posting a $100,000 deficit this year. However, according to Tammy Sweeney, CEO, thanks to increased business this year, it’s 74 per cent less than originally projected.
Council unanimously approved a total of $10.1 million for all three organizations’ operating budgets next year, and about $10.5 million for 2027. That’s an increase of 133,300 (1.3 per cent) in 2026 and $393,700 (3.9 per cent) in 2027, for the city’s portion of their budgets.
More to come…
