Saskatoon city council settles on 6.04% property tax increase in 2024 after 4 days of budget deliberations

Saskatoon city council spent four days debating how to reduce the projected budget deficit and resulting property tax increase, landing on a budget that will increase property taxes in 2024 by 6.04 per cent, which the city says will amount to about $10.47 per month for the average homeowner.

Councillors convened Friday for the fourth day of multi-year budget debates, starting the day with projected deficits of $17.4 million for 2024 and $16.9 million for 2025, which would translate to a 5.94 per cent property tax increase in 2024 and 5.42 per cent in 2025.

By the end of the day, the 2024 tax increase had increased slightly to 6.04 per cent, with the 2025 hike projected to be 5.64 per cent.

"There are some people who would like, and think, that we should have a zero per cent property tax increase, and there's also a lot of people who understood, and understand, that we're facing a lot of pressures," Mayor Charlie Clark told reporters after the meeting.

Council brought the property tax down to one-third of what was projected in June, sacrificing some programs, services and potential jobs in the process.

"That is on my mind, that some of the things that this budget means is we're not going to get as many roads paved this year," Clark said. 

"There will be some of those impacts that residents will see."

Council cut into the 2024 deficit Friday morning before looking at more than $1 million in programs they wanted to see added to the budget, finally settling on a 6.04 per cent tax increase.

Four councillors — Darren Hill, Troy Davies, Randy Donauer and Bev Dubois — voted against the budget in its final draft.

Councillors struggled over the four days to agree where to find savings.

"We hope it's not the new normal that we have these significant kinds of pressures on us and that we have these kinds of budget situations, but this one has been a big learning process for sure," Clark said during debate.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Ward 9 Coun. Bev Dubois called it the "most intense" budget she's dealt with during her 17 years on council.

The budgeted property tax rate increase is the highest since 2014, when taxes rose by 7.43 per cent.

Council voted in favour of making children's bus fares free, with implementation planned for fall 2024.