Saskatoon Minute: Issue 87

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

📅 This Week In Saskatoon: 📅

• On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, beginning at 9:30 am each day, City Council will debate the budget. The City has released an update to its preliminary budget which lowers the preliminary property tax requirement to 7.43% for 2026 and 5.92% for 2027, down slightly from the earlier estimates of 8.23% and 5.95%. 
  
  
• Council will review 108 different options to reduce upcoming property tax hikes. If every cost-cutting option were approved, the 2026 hike could fall to 4.76%, but this would require significant service reductions and fee increases. Suggestions include permanently closing George Ward Pool, shortening outdoor pool seasons, reducing recreation centre hours, raising various user fees, and delaying the launch of the Link transit plan until 2030. Road maintenance cuts - extending the repaving cycle from 20 to 25 years - would generate the largest savings at $1.1 million per year. Transit options include reducing mid-day service on low-ridership routes and ending all bus service an hour earlier. 
  
  
• Mayor Cynthia Block told local business leaders that the City - and others across Canada - need a new approach to funding, arguing that property taxes are outdated and date back to the “era of the horse and buggy.” She acknowledged the proposed 2026 property tax increase, and noted that nearly half of it comes from rising police costs. While she questioned the growing share of the budget devoted to policing, she said she plans to support the police budget due to public safety concerns. Block also ruled out backing a dedicated fee for homelessness despite survey support, noting more consideration is needed. She expressed reluctance to reduce recreation centre hours, citing examples of cities where increased youth recreation helped lower crime. An affordable housing plan that could raise taxes by 1.3% per year is also not included in the preliminary budget. Block is entering her first budget debate as Mayor with a Council that includes six first-time Councillors, whom she praised for their preparation. Local business leaders have voiced concern over the potential tax hike.
  
  
• City Manager Jeff Jorgenson clarified that the City is not considering a homelessness levy, despite public speculation following a recent civic services survey. The survey showed that 63% of respondents were willing to pay a small monthly amount to expand homelessness services, but Jorgenson said the question was intended only to gauge public willingness to support voluntary fundraising efforts, not to signal a new tax. Jorgenson noted that homelessness has consistently ranked as a major concern in recent surveys, with 78% of residents saying the City should allocate more resources. He emphasized that Council has given no direction to explore any form of levy and that any future initiative would be voluntary. The City already absorbs indirect costs related to homelessness, including encampment cleanup and downtown support programs, which are reflected in existing and future budgets.
  
  
• Administration is exploring expanded use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public services, create efficiencies, and support sustainable growth. The City has built an AI strategy over the past three years, including a data governance program, a management strategy, and AI standards. Departments such as water, sustainability, customer service, transit, human resources, and building permitting are either using or investigating AI tools to optimize operations and reduce process-heavy work. The City is considering both the benefits - like service improvements and operational efficiencies - and potential risks, including ethical concerns, privacy issues, bias, and public resistance. Councillors asked about budgets and collaboration with other municipalities, and Administration noted ongoing discussions with cities like Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, and Kelowna. Mayor Cynthia Block described AI as innovative and potentially transformative, while Councillors acknowledged its rapid pace and the need to carefully manage implementation. Pilot projects, such as predictive maintenance software for transit buses, are already underway, and City leaders recognize that the report presented did not capture all current AI initiatives. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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