WATCH ABOVE: Two days out from the provincial budget delivery, many Saskatchewan people are compiling their wishlists – not unlike a family’s grocery shopping list
REGINA – If you walk into the grocery store without a list of what you need, you might not come home with the basics.
Opposition NDP leader Cam Broten is trying to make that point when it comes to the Saskatchewan budget delivery this week. He said too often the Saskatchewan Party government is prioritizing what he believes are the wrong things, such as the use of outside consultants.
“The priority should be on making sure there are enough education assistants in our classrooms, that emergency rooms actually treat people and not force them to sit at a reception desk for hours on end,” Broten said.
Premier Brad Wall already caught the attention of taxpayers, when he said on Mar. 11 that you may pay more for education. The average property tax bill could increase by roughly $150.
READ MORE: Breaking down a potential Sask. education tax hike
While that may go up, Saskatchewan municipalities are bracing themselves for revenue sharing to go down. Wall hinted in January that the formula could be re-calculated.
Every community gets a one per cent cut of the provincial sales tax (PST) – money used to help keep buses running or pay for police service. During good times, it’s a lot of money for cities, but mayors said they were also prepared during bad times too. But now they’re worried about losing a predictable funding source.
“It’s puzzling to us because the first time we feel any pain, the province looks at us to say everything is on the table,” said Debra Button, president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association and mayor of Weyburn.
“Politically, it’s very difficult to cut one big thing.”
Wall said the budget will be balanced despite falling revenues, so where else is the money coming from? Analysts believe there will be small cuts in an attempt to fly under the radar.
“Politically, it’s very difficult to cut one big thing. People notice it, they organize. You upset a lot of people pretty harshly,” said University of Regina political scientist Jim Farney. “It’s much easier to just … not increase spending or make one-to-two per cent cuts.”
When it comes to putting together that shopping list, Wall said Monday that the NDP’s budget wishlist doesn’t look closely enough at the price tags, suggesting spending would skyrocket over the next few years.
We’ll find out just what’s in the province’s shopping cart when the budget comes down on Wednesday.
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