Saskatoon Minute: Issue 127

Saskatoon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatoon politics

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• The Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services will meet tomorrow at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is a revised funding plan for the rehabilitation of Archibald Arena. The federal government has come through with less money than the City had hoped: $3,839,250 through the Build Canada Strong Fund, instead of the $7.68 million the City had requested from a different federal program that was expected to cover up to 80% of eligible costs. Administration is also asking for an extra $2 million from a civic building maintenance reserve to cover cost escalation and additional building upgrades, raising the total project budget from $9.85 million to $11.85 million. To fill the federal gap, the City would increase its draw from the Major Capital Prioritization Funding Plan from $1.17 million to $5,013,750. The project would replace the arena's ice field and ice plant and upgrade building components that have reached the end of their life. If the Committee agrees, the funding changes go to City Council for final approval.
  
  
• Also tomorrow, at 2:00 pm, the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation will meet, and among the items on the agenda is a follow-up report on the disputed design for the 1st Avenue bus rapid transit corridor downtown. City Council defeated Administration's recommended design, which features dedicated centre-running transit lanes between 19th Street and 25th Street, at its April 29th meeting, and detailed design work has been paused ever since. The new report presents three options, including one that would remove the dedicated bus lanes between 20th Street and 22nd Street. Administration says that option would add 16 on-street parking stalls but would negate most of the transit benefit by putting buses back into mixed traffic for two blocks. The recommended option carries a construction cost estimate of $17.3 million, and Administration warns that dropping the dedicated lanes would require federal and provincial approval to amend the project's funding agreement, putting that funding at risk. Administration says it does not recommend proceeding with the previously approved design either, and needs direction from City Council on how to proceed.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Finance will meet on Wednesday at 2:00 pm, and among the items on the agenda is the City's mid-year financial forecast, which projects a $4.5-million deficit for 2026, a 0.6% variance from budget. The largest single pressure is a projected $3-million deficit in the snow and ice program after heavy snowfall in the first half of the year. The forecast also projects a $2.1-million shortfall in fines and penalties revenue. The number of traffic tickets has fallen 44% since 2019, but the City never adjusted the budget to match. Other pressures include a combined $1.3-million deficit at Saskatoon Transit and Access Transit and a $1-million shortfall in franchise fees, partially offset by a projected $3.7-million surplus in supplemental property taxes and penalties and $1.7 million in savings from the closure of the Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre. Any year-end deficit would be covered from reserves, including $16.3 million in the Fiscal Stabilization Reserve and $8.6 million set aside for snow and ice.
  
  
• The same Committee will also receive a report projecting that the City's investment income could reach $32 million in 2026, well above the $17.63 million built into the operating budget. The surplus reflects higher cash balances, improved yields, and nearly 10% year-to-date returns in the City's new equity and alternative investment portfolio, which held about $58.45 million as of July 31st. The report says a surplus of more than $10 million is likely again in 2027 and lays out options for the extra money, including correcting other revenue budgets that are currently overstated, increasing spending, or reducing the 2027 property tax increase. For reference, each 1% of property tax is equivalent to $3.59 million in 2027. Administration says its recommended adjustments will come forward during 2027 budget deliberations.
  
  
• Saskatoon City Council gave final approval last Wednesday to the City's new Climate Action Strategy, a 25-year framework that will guide efforts to cut carbon pollution and prepare for climate-related risks like flooding, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat. The Strategy includes two "playbooks", one focused on reducing emissions and the other on adapting to climate impacts. Potential actions under the Strategy include integrating climate risk into City planning and infrastructure projects, expanding the urban forest, supporting food security initiatives, and improving energy efficiency. The approval does not itself greenlight or fund any specific projects: the City says individual initiatives will be considered separately through future decision-making, budgeting, and public engagement processes.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!