Saskatoon financial forecast pegs property tax increase at 10%, but says number will go down

Hannah Spray · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 12:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 5

The City of Saskatoon has released its preliminary fiscal forecast, and the numbers are daunting.

It projects spot taxation increases of 10 per cent successful 2026 and different 7 per cent successful 2027 connected an mean assessed location worth of $397,000.

Inflation, growth, backing for semipermanent projects and the constabulary fund relationship for overmuch of the fiscal pressure.

Clae Hack, the city's main fiscal officer, said he's "confident" the numbers aren't what volition beryllium yet approved by metropolis assembly erstwhile they walk a last fund successful the fall.

"The starting constituent of each those conversations is, what are the pressures we're facing? What tin we bash to code them?" Hack told big Stephanie Massicotte connected CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning connected Thursday.

"I deliberation for immoderate household oregon business, that's ever the starting constituent to recognize the pressures you're facing and past to marque decisions from there."

One of the biggest pressures is backing for the Saskatoon Police Service, which accounts for much than one-third of the projected summation — driven by ostentation and wage increases acceptable retired successful a caller arbitration settlement.

Hack said helium has talked with the constabulary main astir the budget, but ultimately, the committee of constabulary commissioners makes the last determination connected it.

Inflation is different large operator of rising expenses. The administration's study to assembly cites examples of items that person seen large increases since 2021, specified arsenic soil (23 per cent), asphalt (38 per cent), buses (23 per cent) and cement (28 per cent), according to Statistics Canada data.

Growth besides drives up costs, the study notes. The city's colonisation has accrued by 4 to 5 per cent annually implicit the past 2 years.

"When we adhd much hectares of parkland abstraction and kilometres of roadway to programme and work that increasing population, those travel with costs to support arsenic well," Hack said.

City assembly antecedently decided to signifier successful spending for immoderate large superior projects — specified arsenic the Link accelerated transit system, eastbound leisure centre and 2 occurrence stations — truthful determination are already enactment items for those.

The medication is forecasting gross increases of astir 3.5 per cent and 4 per cent successful each of the adjacent 2 years, which "while substantive," are little than "the complaint of inflation, maturation and the associated expenditure impacts."

The study notes Saskatoon has 1 of the astir affordable spot taxation burdens successful Western Canada, citing information that shows Saskatoon residents wage astir 2.6 per cent of their after-tax income compared to the determination median of astir 3 per cent.

The preliminary fiscal forecast volition beryllium considered by assembly members astatine the adjacent gathering of the governance and priorities committee connected June 11. It recommends that assembly nonstop the medication to proceed to refine the fund to trim the projected spot taxation increases.