Saskatoon residents disappointed after another property tax increase

People in Saskatoon are voicing their concerns as the city is set to increase property taxes in 2025.

The 4.96 per cent increase is lower than the original starting point of 5.84 per cent, but the smaller increase still means those who own a home valued at $344,000 will pay an extra $9.14 per month. The coming increase follows a 6.04 per cent hike in 2024.

Saskatoon resident Elton Dutka said the increase feels a little excessive.

“They don’t even have enough from the budget to clear the recent snowstorm, and it’s the beginning of the year,” Dutka said.

Dutka said he wasn’t satisfied with the new budget, but hopes the city can continue to provide for people’s basic needs.

“Always more could be done,” he said. “I just hope they keep up the services that they’re supposed to be providing.”

Dutka said he understands the struggle of putting together a budget, and said the city is in a weird spot.

“We’re kind of like a teenager (and) you don’t know how big we’re going to grow in the next little while,” Dutka said. “You got to provide services, but you also got to keep the fiscal things in check.”

Joelle Adams-Gorsalitz, another Saskatoon resident, said she was also disappointed by the tax hike.

“It’s too much already. We’ve had an increase every year since I can remember,” Adams-Gorsalitz said. “Little to no changes have happened in Saskatoon, and money is being wasted.”

Since the beginning of 2022, the average homeowner has seen a $32.28 monthly increase in property tax payments.

Adams-Gorsalitz said she thinks the city is working on projects that shouldn’t be so high on the priority list.

“I would have cut wasteful spending or unnecessary spending,” she said. “In my neighbourhood they did a park upgrade with little to no change to the park.”

Adams-Gorsalitz said she hopes the city thinks twice before committing funds to a potential downtown arena. 

“The downtown event area, I think, is going to be a waste of money,” she said. “And also then another huge tax increase.”

James, a caller who connected with The Evan Bray Show, said the city needs to focus on one major component of the Downtown Entertainment and Event District.

Listen to the Open Lines segment on The Evan Bray Show:

“I would take this opportunity for a renaissance of Saskatoon downtown,” James said. “We should build a convention centre that has the opportunity to look over … our river.”

TCU Place opened April 1, 1968, and James said the city desperately needs a replacement.

“I would suggest that the block from 20th Street down First Avenue to 19th street would be the best place,” he said. “To me, it’s the convention centre that truly needs to be the focus. An arena certainly can work in that program as well.”

Another caller suggested the city should focus on the “needs versus the wants,” while others suggested the city should look into hiring an independent auditor to review the number of city employees and compare that number to other cities.