Property taxes in Prince Albert are going up 1.5 per cent after city councillors approved a $70.1 million municipal budget for 2018.
The 2018 budget represents a $2.2 million increase over 2017.
City officials said they faced another enormously challenging year following budget cuts from the Saskatchewan government. Prince Albert was faced with a $3 million funding shortfall heading into 2018.
“This was a very difficult budget year and we are not out of the worst of it yet,” city manager Jim Toye said in press release.
“Administration has once again been able to find efficiencies in our operations and generate revenues that do not rely solely on our property tax payers, but we remain under significant financial pressure.”
The shortfall was dealt with by the city using some short-term measures that includes keeping four civic positions vacant and using $1 million from the 2017 surplus that was already paid for by taxpayers.
The city will still require an additional $443,000 from property taxes to fund operations.
“We worked to keep the tax increase low to ease the tax burden on both our residents and businesses,” Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said in a press release.
“We are not cutting any services. All programs remain intact and we will continue along the path of renewing Prince Albert’s old infrastructure.”
Projects that the city expects will move forward in 2018 include: Little Red River Park riverbank restoration, a new Kinsmen Water Park main pool and a new parking lot at Art Hauser Centre.
Water utility and sanitation rates will increase by around $56 annually for customers in 2018.
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