2022/2023 Multi-Year Budget
Updated Timeline/Current Status: Next Special Budget Review Meeting - Standing Policy Committee on Finance October 15, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.
- June 21, 2021: At its meeting, the Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) members asked for a deferral to set the indicative rates for 2022 and 2023. As well, they passed a motion to allow for input from residents and the business community on the matter through a Special Finance Meeting to be held Tuesday, August 31, 2021.
- August 31, 2021: Standing Policy Committee on Finance Special Finance Meeting held - additional resolutions were requested requiring further information and reporting back from the Administration; this meant that an indicative rate could not be determined at the September 20, 2021, Governance & Priorities Committee meeting. Adjustments have had to be made to both the process and the timelines to continue with the Business Plan and Budget Review as set for November 29 to December 1, 2021.
- To note: Although an indicative rate was not set, to ensure the budget timelines can be met, the Administration had to freeze the information as presented at the June 21, 2021, GPC meeting to produce the preliminary 2022/2023 MYBB document. (Except for updated information on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) funding plan to remove both the 2022 and 2023 phase-ins for this plan due to the revised timeline of the BRT project.)
- October 15, 2021: Standing Policy Committee on Finance Special Budget Review Meeting, 9:00 a.m. Any decisions made by GPC at this meeting or the November GPC meeting that impact the property tax rate will be forwarded to the Business Plan and Budget Review meeting in November to be debated but will not be reflected in the preliminary MYBB document.
- October 18, 2021: A list of prioritized Business Plan Options will be presented to GPC.
- November 2021: The 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget document will be released.
- November 29, 30 & December 1, 2021: City Council Business Plan and Budget review (deliberations) will take place.
By continuing to work together as residents, City Council and civic administration, we will achieve our vision of growing a vibrant city and making Saskatoon a great place to live, work, learn and play.
Our 2022-2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget (MYBB) remains inspired by the core idea of investing in what matters. Now, more than ever, we must go beyond conventional approaches to plan the 2022/2023 Budget and meet the need financial challenges impacting the City of Saskatoon as a result of COVID-19.
- We remain committed to planning ahead and providing residents with greater certainty about the future direction of property tax.
- We keep Saskatoon residents at the forefront of our budget planning through investment decisions in the priorities, services and programs that matter most.
- We are focused on our long-term goal to manage the City in a smart, sustainable way through continuous improvement, pursuing innovation, and a dedication to maximizing service value for tax dollars.
- We are dedicated to pursuing alternate revenue streams to reduce the reliance on property tax.
- We manage both risk and debt appropriately.
2022-2023 Multi-Year Budget Planning Timeline
The City of Saskatoon is preparing its first multi-year budget during a global pandemic. Despite the uncertainty as to when restrictions are lifted and people respond to a post-pandemic environment, the City Administration will follow the same key steps as for the previous two-year MYBB process as follows:
1. The Administration will develop the cost to maintain existing services such as expenditure growth, inflation, and revenue estimates. This step is also used for administrative priorities such as correction of base budgets and phase-in of funding plans.
2. The Administration will provide a summary of the information from Step 1 to the Governance and Priorities Committee so that an indicative rate (property tax target) can be set by City Council.
3. The Administration will use cross-divisional teams to discuss City Council’s strategic priorities and develop options to achieve these priorities.
4. The Administration will present a list of Business Plan Options to City Council for prioritization.
Setting the indicative municipal property tax rate for the next two years is an important first building block in the development of the City’s multi-year business plan and budget. The indicative rate guides the Administration in preparing the budget by allocating resources to the services, programs and initiatives that help achieve Council’s strategic priorities.
It is important to remember that setting the indicative rate is only the first budget building step - this step is not to finalize the property tax rates.
City Council will finalize its decisions at the 2022/2023 budget deliberations set for November 29, 30 and December 1, 2021. Full News Release
Administrative Report to GPC, June 21, 2021: Setting the 2022 and 2023 Indicative Budget
ARCHIVE: Approved 2020/2021 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget
Citizen input has always been an important part of the City's budget process. In May and June 2021, the City will gather public input through two surveys: the Civic Satisfaction & Performance Survey #1, and the Civic Services Survey: Performance, Priorities & Preferences Survey #2. These surveys were last conducted in 2018 to inform the City’s first multi-year business plan and budget for 2020 and 2021. The 2021 surveys will be used to inform City Council in the development of the 2022-2023 Budget.
View the results of both 2018 Civic Surveys here.
Interested in viewing how the municipal (City) portion of your 2021 property tax is invested in civic services? Slowly enter your street name (it will auto-fill for you after the first few letters), and then enter your building number next in the Property Assessment & Tax Tool. Select the Tax Information Tab to view how your property tax is allocated to civic services.