The City of Saskatoon is back on the cutting room floor Tuesday to see what needs to hit the chopping block to reduce a funding gap that will affect property taxes in the next two years.
Transportation, community support, Saskatoon fire, environmental health, taxation and general revenues, land development, arts, culture and events venues, recreation and culture, urban planning and development and full-time equivalent reports will all be discussed during budget deliberations.
City administration noted that estimates are being further refined regarding the budgetary gap, adding that after the decisions made at the July 25 special budget meeting the gap sits at $26,161,450 in 2024 and $19,328,650 in 2025.
That equates to a 8.92 per cent property tax increase in 2024 and a 6.01 per cent increase in 2025.
A total of 16 different options were given regarding the transportation business line to help trim the fat.
Some of these options included the elimination of the seasonal decoration program, adjusting Saskatoon Transit levels, increasing bus fees or parking fees, and cutbacks on snow and ice management.
Several options were given regarding the community support line, and could result in increases to fees regarding pet licensing and cemetery rates.
Other cuts within the community support line could see a reduction to community grants and investments, donations and economic incentives.
Saskatoon fire could see a deferral of new property tax-funded positions, mainly the asset management and communications consultant positions.
Those deferrals could branch out to an operations dispatch manager position, but could also affect fire bylaw inspectors and firefighters.
Eleven options were given regarding the environmental health business line.
This could result in the closure of the East compost depot, adjusted hours of operation for the landfill, discontinuing the Christmas tree drop-off sites, and an extension of the tree pruning cycle.
A few options regarding the taxation and general revenue business line could come with a reduction of the Interest Stabilization Reserve Transfer, an increase to fees for tax certificates and tax searches or an increase to overdue fees regarding property taxes.
The land development business line shows three options to cut costs and could see an increase to lease revenue, a reduction to the land maintenance program and the creation of additional billboards to generate more funding.
Within the arts, culture and events venues business line, the city has options to reduce or stop the phase-in of the Civic Buildings and Comprehensive Maintenance contributions for the Remai Modern as well as possible changes to operating grants that could affect TCU Place and the Remai Modern.
A total of 14 options were given to create cuts within the recreation and culture business line and could see the elimination of cross-country skiing trail setting services, a reduction to park maintenance, a reduction to public skating hours, reducing youth centre programs and other options that could affect summer programs, spray pads and outdoor pools.
The urban planning and development business line could see reductions to the corridor planning operations funding, but also the public housing subsidy.
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The agenda also dives into full-time equivalent municipal comparisons, the impacts of a hiring freeze or not adding new staff, a temporary workforce report, as well as a comparison of the growth in federal, provincial and municipal operating budgets.
North Saskatoon Business Association executive director Keith Moen spoke at the meeting and warned against some of the steps to bridge the funding gap being funding deferrals until future years.
“You can’t really get away from doing the appropriate planning, spending and maintenance. It catches up with you in the end,” Moen said.
One of the recommendations that Moen had given city council revolved around cutting city staff by 10 per cent, suggesting an external HR audit could identify areas that need to be cut.
But Moen also suggested areas in environmental sustainability, human resources, labour relations, communications and planning and development should be looked at.
“I would argue, and I’m sure many HR consultants would argue that if you were to have a reduction in workforce you’re not going to let go your top performers, or even your mid performers. It’s your low performers who are going to be effected.”
Moen added that he thinks staffing cuts would create “camaraderie” amongst employees.
He added that the environmental sustainability business operation was not a basic necessity of the city, to which Mayor Charlie Clark questioned.
“I just have to ask Mr. Moen, are you aware of some of the impacts of climate on cities right now? Whether it’s trying to mitigate floods, or dealing with the impacts of extreme heat, or making sure that we’re able to attract new businesses to a city where, we know that businesses are moving to jurisdictions where there are more sustainable energy bases,” Clark said.
Moen said that shouldn’t be ignored, but added we can’t afford it.
Other highlights from the meeting included many councillors in opposition to a reduction of transit operations, with that option being defeated.
The option to increase transit fare was defeated as well due to a tie, with many councillors wanting more information before they moved forward with an increase.
Long discussions were had regarding street sweeping, median maintenance and line painting.
Many councillors said they were torn on the topics, noting they’d like to see improvements in the city, but acknowledging cuts need to be made.
It was found that 75 kilometres of median space needed to be mowed, with Hill calling that a “tremendous waste of resources.”
Council unanimously agreed to reduce services to street sweeping and cleaning, but it was noted another report on that topic will be coming later in the year.
City council got through six items on the agenda by their lunch break at 1 p.m.
Changes from the budget discussion included:
- No inflationary increase for line painting and sign replacement materials
- Reduce the sweeping of soft surface (turf) medians to once every two years
- An expansion of the parking pay station zone to incorporate approximately 130 additional on-street parking spaces within the warehouse district and center industrial areas
- An additional rate increase of 10 per cent for all pet licensing
- An additional rate increase of 3 per cent for the rates and fees for cemetary services
- Reduction to the contribution to the special events reserve in 2024 and 2025
- No increases and maintain the same level of funding for grants and community organization support
- Defer the addition of a Fire Services asset management staff position until 2025
- Remove the addition of a permanent communications consultant position within Saskatoon Fire Department
- Defer the addition of a dedicated operations dispatch manager position until mid-way through 2024
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