Latest news with #SaskatoonPoliceService
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Saskatoon financial forecast pegs property tax increase at 10%, but says number will go down
Social Sharing The City of Saskatoon has released its preliminary financial forecast, and the numbers are daunting. It projects property tax increases of 10 per cent in 2026 and another seven per cent in 2027 on an average assessed home value of $397,000. Inflation, growth, funding for long-term projects and the police budget account for much of the financial pressure. Clae Hack, the city's chief financial officer, said he's "confident" the numbers aren't what will be ultimately approved by city council when they pass a final budget in the fall. "The starting point of all those conversations is, what are the pressures we're facing? What can we do to address them?" Hack told host Stephanie Massicotte on CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning on Thursday. "I think for any household or business, that's always the starting point to understand the pressures you're facing and then to make decisions from there." One of the biggest pressures is funding for the Saskatoon Police Service, which accounts for more than one-third of the projected increase — driven by inflation and wage increases set out in a recent arbitration settlement. Hack said he has talked with the police chief about the budget, but ultimately, the board of police commissioners makes the final decision on it. Inflation is another big driver of rising expenses. The administration's report to council cites examples of items that have seen big increases since 2021, such as sand (23 per cent), asphalt (38 per cent), buses (23 per cent) and cement (28 per cent), according to Statistics Canada data. Growth also drives up costs, the report notes. The city's population has increased by four to five per cent annually over the past two years. "When we add more hectares of park space and kilometres of roadway to program and service that growing population, those come with costs to maintain as well," Hack said. City council previously decided to phase in spending for some big capital projects — such as the Link rapid transit system, east leisure centre and two fire stations — so there are already line items for those. The administration is forecasting revenue increases of about 3.5 per cent and four per cent in each of the next two years, which "while substantive," are lower than "the rate of inflation, growth and the associated expenditure impacts." The report notes Saskatoon has one of the most affordable property tax burdens in Western Canada, citing data that shows Saskatoon residents pay about 2.6 per cent of their after-tax income compared to the regional median of about three per cent. The preliminary financial forecast will be considered by council members at the next meeting of the governance and priorities committee on June 11. It recommends that council direct the administration to continue to refine the budget to reduce the proposed property tax increases.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
City forecasts need for 9.9% property tax increase next year
The City of Saskatoon could be facing one of its largest ever tax hikes next year. City administration will present a report to the city's governance and priorities committee next week that forecasts property tax increases of 9.9 per cent in 2026 and 7.3 per cent in 2027. 'The city continues to face increasing costs from inflation and the needs of a growing city, and non-property tax revenue sources continue to not keep up with inflation and growth,' chief financial officer Clae Hack said Wednesday. The increases amount to $22 and $18 per month, respectively, for an average assessed home value of $397,000. Hack noted city councillors are likely to look for cuts, rather than approve such a sizeable hike, much like the previous council did in 2023 when the city lowered a $75 million dollar shortfall by $39 million. But Hack said the forecast is a reminder of the effects ongoing inflation and rapid population growth have had on city finances. 'There's definitely no silver bullet. There's not going to be one easy decision that doesn't impact anybody across the city. So, it's going to be a combination of various things,' Hack said about efforts to reduce the tax hike. The largest pressure on the city is the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) budget, which accounts for more than one-third of the potential increase. The police operating budget is projecting increases of 10.4 per cent in 2026 and 6.4 per cent in 2027 over its existing budget, which Hack largely attributed to salary increases — part of binding arbitration over a new collective bargaining agreement. Without any other increases to expenses, the police budget alone would account for a 4.09 per cent increase to property taxes. 'They recently had an arbitration settlement come in. So, funding the results of that and then future collective bargaining estimates are a big part of their budget increase,' Hack said. Hack says phase-in expenses previously directed by council and maintaining existing service levels also impact the budget. The Link transit system, the new leisure centre planned for growing areas on the east side of the city and two new fire halls, among other expenses, will add approximately $7.5 million and $9.6 million in 2026 and 2027 respectively. Population growth and increasing inflation are also impacting revenue, as well as expenses. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatoon added 12,896 people in 2024. Newcomers to Saskatoon accounted for 42 per cent of the province's population growth last year. Even though the city has collected nearly 19 per cent more in property tax revenue since 2022, the value of the revenue can't keep up with expense pressures, making the city more reliant on property taxes. 'We're seeing things like our user fees or our government grants maybe not growing at the same pace of the expenses. So when you think about the property tax, not only does the property tax need to pick up its share of the expenditure pressures the city's facing, but it also needs to pick up the share of other revenues that aren't keeping pace,' Hack said. Inflation, while not as significant as in 2022 or 2023, is also a major factor. Hack says asphalt costs have risen by nearly 40 per cent in the last four years. Cement also costs 11.4 per cent more than it did last year and 30 per cent more than it did in 2020. Hack said administration hopes to present a 'refined' budget with a minimum one per cent reduction to the property tax increase by November. 'It's not ideal. Nobody would like a zero per cent property tax increase more than I would. But I think in our role, our main job, especially since everything that we do happens in the public, it's to provide the clear, transparent view of the needs facing the city,' Hack said. The largest property tax increase since at least 1987 was a 7.43 per cent increase in 2014, followed by a 6.04 per cent increase in 2024.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Man charged after pulling replica CO2 handgun on Saskatoon taxi driver: police
A Saskatoon Police Service badge is shown on an officer's uniform in Saskatoon on Friday, May 5, 2023. Police in Saskatoon are reporting a rather unusual case that saw them catch their suspect -- but lose their car. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
CTV News
26-04-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Save our future generation': Officials gather to discuss Saskatoon public safety
The topic of public safety was discussed at length on Saturday, thanks to the Better Canada Foundation. 'So, all walks of people are coming in. So, at the same table, we can talk about these issues, and they can ask questions,' Masud Alam, co-founder and CEO of the Better Canada Foundation, said. Representatives from the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), the City of Saskatoon, and various other organizations gathered at the Confederation Inn to learn more about the current barriers affecting public safety in the city. A common theme throughout the seminar was mental health and addictions. 'In the past, a lot of the focus on police agencies and by police officers was really directed towards crime exclusively. And as we have seen in the last number of years, the social conditions that contribute to crime — that are underlying causes of crime — have become more visible and more prevalent. And we know that it can't just be a policing response to those issues,' Inspector Nolan Berg of the SPS said. Berg was one of the speakers at the seminar and shared that the rising numbers of addiction-related issues are a problem that cannot be solved by police alone. 'So, they want to find out how we can move ahead collaboratively and find solutions to ensure that people are feeling safe, and yet treating people who are homeless or struggling with addiction and mental health issues in a way that is good for them, helps them, reduces harm, and preserves dignity,' Berg said. officials gathered at the Confederation Inn in Saskatoon to discuss the topic of public safety on Saturday. Officials gathered at the Confederation Inn in Saskatoon to discuss the topic of public safety on Saturday. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News) Ward 9 Councillor Bev Dubois attended as a representative of the city and shared how the topic is top of mind for many lawmakers. 'I want our buses to be safe... I want folks to feel comfortable going for a walk, going downtown, going shopping at a mall. And right now, we've got issues with that. So, you know, we have to all keep working together to ensure that we have a safe and vibrant community,' Dubois said. The councillor also emphasized that the issue of public safety is not exclusive to one area of the city. 'I want our city to be safe, obviously. And, you know, some folks think it's only downtown or only in certain parts of the city. But really, public safety is everywhere,' Dubois said. The Better Canada Foundation works to assist new Canadians and marginalized groups meet a variety of needs. This seminar was the first of its kind for the organization, and organizers said they plan to make it an annual event. 'Mental health and addiction are pressing issues all over Canada. And Saskatoon is very important because we have a young generation. They are going through the same thing. So, to save our future generation, to make sure that our young generation thrives here, we need to discuss these issues so that they don't become bigger,' Arifur Rahman, co-founder and CEO of the Better Canada Foundation, said.
CBC
05-04-2025
- CBC
Saskatoon police investigating racism, threats during U of S event as possible hate crime
Saskatoon police are investigating the disruption of a University of Saskatchewan event with what the university called "racist and deeply inappropriate" imagery as a possible hate crime. During an online presentation of the university's general academic assembly on Thursday, an unknown user joined the meeting and began posting pornography and racist imagery. The unknown person, or people, posted "inappropriate images and video while voicing hateful rhetoric" during the meeting, Saskatoon police said in a Friday news release. The incident appears to be a case of what's referred to as " Zoom-bombing" — where participants in a video-conferencing meeting have their screens hijacked by malicious actors. The Saskatoon Police Service's hate crimes unit is now collaborating with University of Saskatchewan Protective Services to investigate the incident as wilful promotion of hatred — an indictable offence under Canada's Criminal Code, Friday's news release said. Hate crime charges are rare across the country, and some, including the wilful promotion of hatred charge, require the attorney general's consent to proceed. The online event was quickly shut down after the disturbance began, and an announcement was made to the university community offering resources for those who needed them. The university later said that there was no risk to its IT system.
