Engineer and business owner Zubair Sheikh wants to be the next mayor of Saskatoon.
He said the incumbent council and mayor Charlie Clark have cost taxpayers too much money and residents need a break as they struggle to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
To that end, he’s promising better fiscal management and no tax increases for four years if he’s elected in the upcoming civic election.
“To be a mayor of a city you have to be a good businessman,” he said, touting his experience running his engineering firm, Active Engineers Saskatoon.
“If you will think the city is your own business, you will be a good mayor. You don’t need to be a politician.”
The 13-point platform Sheikh sent to Global News includes policies improving infrastructure “as deemed necessary,” eliminating unnecessary spending and attracting year-round tourism by offering tax incentives to construct an indoor theme park.
He also plans to bring in investors to construct charging stations for electric vehicles and for the city to attract offices for companies that refine uranium — an industry that he predicts will expand.
Sheikh said he would continue to support the police budget, $110.4 million in 2020, and crime reduction initiatives.
But he said the city should not spend close to $70 million on a new library. He said providing cheaper internet rates to students and their families would have a greater positive impact on their education.
“We have to consider how many people go to the library and how many people will benefit from this $67.5 million,” he said, stating he supports libraries but wants an efficient return on the money.
He said all of his programs will be paid for with the current tax rate and by reducing city expenses, but he wouldn’t know where to find those savings until he was elected.
“Once I have the city budget in front of me, then we can see what we have to cut down” he said.
University of Saskatchewan political scientist Joe Garcea said Sheikh’s promise to not increase tax is very ambitious, especially with the uncertainty brought by the pandemic.
“These are difficult times, unpredictable times,” he said, speaking over Zoom.
“Anybody who thinks that they really know the answer and what the future holds, they should be asked a lot of questions.”
During budget deliberations last November, the current city council voted to raise property taxes by 3.7 per cent in 2020 and 3.87 in 2021.
At that rate, an average Saskatoon homeowner will pay an additional $69.87 in 2020 and an additional $75.35 the next year, according to city administration documents pricing the average house at $371,000.
It was the lowest property tax increase in a decade.
But that was before the coronavirus pandemic hit, which saddled the city with a nearly-$43 million deficit.
The provincial government has provided financial aid, which has helped fill much of that hole, but any city still faces great uncertainty.
Garcea said voters should look at things beyond budget items.
Given the uncertainty and the fact that a mayor represents just one vote on a city council of 11, Garcea said residents should also consider voting for whom they believe will be able to work with councillors to find try to find agreements and solutions for the post-pandemic recovery efforts.
“I think that’s what people should hope for, is a council and mayor that can really work together and people’s interests.”
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