Saskatoon Minute: Issue 85

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

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• The Governance and Priorities Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. The agenda includes the results of the 2025 Civic Services Survey. The survey shows residents are generally satisfied with living in the city, with 82% expressing satisfaction and 68% rating their quality of life as good or very good. Despite this, homelessness and crime/public safety remain the most pressing concerns, with 35% citing homelessness and 21% citing crime as the top issues. Residents largely support the City taking action on affordable housing and homelessness, with many willing to contribute financially and see responsibility shared across all levels of government. Satisfaction with City services remains high, particularly in areas like fire protection, electrical reliability, drinking water quality, and waste management. Survey results also highlight priorities for improvement, including police services, snow and ice road maintenance, and traffic management. Residents indicated preferences for expanded services in affordable housing, transit, and snow/ice management.
  
  
• The Committee will also discuss the results of the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan survey. The City conducted public and employee surveys on the draft 2026-2029 Strategic Plan to gather feedback on its two strategic goals: Advance City Council Priorities and Build a High-Performing Organization. A total of 1,743 public responses and 178 employee responses were received. Public satisfaction was mixed, with roughly one-third satisfied with the goals and over 40% dissatisfied, while employee satisfaction was higher, with over 60% satisfied with both goals. Major themes from public feedback included concerns about fiscal responsibility, homelessness, community safety, infrastructure, and customer service. Survey respondents suggested simplifying or prioritizing goals, but overall there was general approval of the plan. Administration will incorporate feedback and return to Council with updates for approval.
  
  
• The Saskatoon Accessibility Advisory Committee will meet on Friday at 12:00 pm. The agenda is focused on finalizing the City’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. The plan was informed by consultations with residents using surveys, focus groups, and interviews to identify accessibility barriers. The plan addresses seven domains: the built environment, information and communications, transportation, service animals, City services and programs, employment with the City, and attitudes and biases among City employees. Public feedback on the draft plan was supportive. Implementation will include facility and park audits, community education, and enhanced engagement, with proposed funding of $100,000 annually in 2026 and 2027.
  
  
• Saskatoon has proposed a 2026-2027 multi-year budget that includes an 8.32% property tax increase for 2026. The following year, taxes are projected to rise by another 5.95%. City CFO Clae Hack says that the budget reflects the minimum cost to maintain current services, driven by population growth, inflation, and policing, with the police budget alone requesting an 8.62% increase due to a collective bargaining settlement. The budget also accounts for major projects like the expansion of the water treatment plant, expected to cost $75 million in 2026 and $116.7 million in 2027. To mitigate the increase, over 100 options will be presented to Council on November 19th, potentially lowering the hike to 4.9%, though this could impact service levels. We'll bring you more information soon!
  
  
• In contrast to the relatively positive Civic Services Survey, a survey of nearly 700 Saskatoon business leaders highlights widespread dissatisfaction with the City’s leadership, governance, and relationship with the business community. The average rating for the City-business relationship was 4.5 out of 10, with downtown safety, property taxes, and perceived bureaucratic inefficiencies among the top concerns. Businesses described the downtown as “unsafe” due to open drug use and aggressive behaviour, and many criticized Council and Mayor Cynthia Block for “poor leadership and lack of business understanding.” Rising property taxes and licensing fees were cited as impacting profitability and operational costs, while businesses also called for streamlined permitting processes. Respondents emphasized the need for stronger police presence, faster responses, and better management of encampments and street disorder. Mayor Block has welcomed the feedback, framing it as a starting point for dialogue, and expressed commitment to improving the City’s relationship with its business community. 
  
  
• Council will consider creating a dedicated transit police unit as part of upcoming budget talks, following growing safety concerns from riders and transit workers. The City’s Transportation Committee unanimously endorsed a proposal to allocate $1.6 million for nine police officers and two patrol cars to oversee transit safety beginning next year. The proposal comes as the City faces a large property tax increase. Transit union representatives said drivers and passengers are increasingly managing social disorder, arguing that dedicated officers could enforce laws and improve safety on buses and at terminals. Saskatoon currently employs service supervisors and security contractors for patrols but lacks police with enforcement powers dedicated to transit. Council will also consider $300,000 for an Indigenous-led peacekeeper pilot program to patrol high-traffic areas such as downtown and Riversdale. Both initiatives will be weighed against other priorities during budget deliberations later this month.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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