After an intense four-day budget process filled with revisions, Saskatoon City Council has finalized property tax increases for the next two years. The decision came after extensive deliberations that saw the proposed rates fluctuate significantly before settling at 6.7 per cent for 2026 and 5.81 per cent for 2027.
Budget Process Sees Significant Fluctuations
The budget deliberations, which concluded on November 28, 2025, began with considerably higher proposed increases of 7.43 per cent for 2026 and 5.92 per cent for 2027. Council members worked through 108 different budget items, making cuts to some projects while increasing funding to others in an effort to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.
City administration identified the addition of more police officers as a major factor driving the increases. Ward 10 Coun. Zach Jeffries was among the council members who participated in the difficult decisions during the third day of deliberations at Saskatoon City Hall.
Controversial Cuts and Additions
Among the most debated items were proposed fees for Saskatoon Fire Department lift assists and city funding for a detox centre. Coun. Jeffries described the consideration of charging for lift assists as "icky", though fire department officials provided context that in some cases, for-profit care homes and individuals refusing to follow medical advice were taking advantage of the service.
The detox centre discussion revealed some confusion among administrators and councillors about the location of the facility at 201 Ave O South, which ultimately falls under Saskatchewan Health Authority's responsibility.
Other significant changes included increased transit fares and the approval of an Indigenous peacekeepers pilot project. Council also reduced bus frequency and run times as part of their cost-cutting measures.
Final Day Additions and Considerations
On the fourth and final day of deliberations, council had reduced the mill rate increase to 6.17 per cent for 2026 and 5.39 per cent for 2027 before considering additional items. From a list of 45 potential additions, council approved 22 items that were added back to the operating budget.
These included snow and ice service enhancements for local streets, hiring another zookeeper, creating a truth and reconciliation coordinator position, adding police personnel for transit, and employing more fire dispatchers.
Coun. Bev Dubois reminded colleagues that not everything on what she called the "wish list" could be approved. Meanwhile, Coun. Randy Donauer questioned the feasibility of adding transit police for Saskatoon police next year due to recruitment challenges. Police Chief Cam McBride indicated that while 2026 would be challenging, 2027 would be more reasonable for implementing transit police.
The finalized budget represents the outcome of difficult choices faced by city council as they balanced municipal service needs with taxpayer affordability in Saskatoon.
