2024/2025 Multi-Year Budget
The 2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget will focus on investments to maintian the delivery of civic services and service levels, and programs and projects valued by the residents we serve.
- 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, finding efficiencies year over year, 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.
> Learn more about the demographic, development, economic, environmental, and social issues and trends in Saskatoon in the 2021 Strategic Trends report.
2024/2025 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget Process
The 2024/2025 MYBB process will be made up of similar key steps undertaken for the previous two-year MYBB process as follows:
- 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 the correction of base budgets and phase-in of funding plans.
- 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.
- The Administration will use cross-divisional teams to discuss City Council’s strategic priorities and develop options to achieve these priorities.
- The Administration will present a list of Business Plan Options to City Council for prioritization. These prioritized options will form part of the reporting to City Council’s Business Plan and Budget Review.
In addition, at its January 25, 2023, regular meeting, City Council resolved in part:
“That a climate budget approach, as outlined in the report of the General Manager, Utilities and Environment dated January 10, 2023, be approved in principle for implementation during the 2024/2025 budget planning cycle”
To note, Administration has incorporated steps for the inclusion of a Climate Budget for the 2024/2025 MYBB.
2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget Documents
2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget - Timeline of Events - 2021
- June 21, 2021: At the Governance and Priorities Committee Meeting, costs were determined to maintain current service delivery and service levels at status quo for the next two years; the original indicative property tax estimate presented required a property tax increase of 5.96% and 5.42% in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Administrative Report June 21, 2021: Setting the 2022 and 2023 Indicative Budget
Media Technical Briefing June 2021: 2022 and 2023 Indicative Budget
News Release: Maintaining services, responding to pandemic pressures: Council Committee to consider 2022-2023 indicative rates
- August 31, 2021: At the Standing Policy Committee on Finance Special Finance Meeting, the Administration was directed to bring back options to reduce the initial proposed proposed property tax estimate (indicative rate) and to include information on the longer-term structural budget challenges facing the City like its stagnant revenue growth and increased reliance on property taxes.
- October 15, 2021: At the Standing Policy Committee on Finance Special Budget Meeting, the Administration provided various options and plans to support the goals of the new 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.
- October 18, 2021: At the Governance and Priorities Committee Meeting, Council was presented with a list of prioritized Business Plan Options.
- November 24, 2021: News Release: City releases preliminary 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget
- November 29, 2021: COMPLETE AGENDA CITY COUNCIL November 29, 2021: 2022/23 Preliminary Corporate Business Plan And Budget
Information Report: Preliminary 2022/2023 Budget and COVID-19 Financial Update
Information Report: Budgetary Management Programs in Selected Cities
Information Report: Impact of Increase to User Fees
Information Report: Options for Reductions to Expenditures and Transfers to Reserves
Approval Report: 2022/2023 Business Plan and Budget - Operating and Capital Options
- November 29, 30 & December 1, 2021: City Council finalizes investment decisions at the 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget Review (deliberations).
- December 1, 2021: City Council approved the 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget
News Release: City Council approves 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget
2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget - Timeline of Events - 2022
At its November 29, 2021, 2022/23 Preliminary Business Plan and Budget meeting, City Council approved the 2023 Operating and Capital Plans which resulted in a proposed property tax increase of 3.53% for 2023. The details of the previously approved 2023 Operating Plan can be found in the 2022-2023 Approved Detailed Operating document. Additionally, the approved 2023 Capital Plan can be found in the Approved Capital Budget Project documents.
At its August 15, 2022 meeting, the Standing Policy Committee on Finance approved the appointment of Deloitte LLP as the City’s external auditor.
At its August 29, 2022 meeting, City Council resolved:
“That Option 3 – Inclusion of a Phased-In Transit and other Step Growth amounts be included within the Indicative Budget in each Budget Year.”
At its September 26, 2022 meeting, when deliberating the Discover Saskatoon Contract, City Council resolved in part:
“2. That the increased operating budget cost beyond what has already been approved of $15,100 be referred to 2023 budget deliberations with the recommendation that it be added to the 2023 budget;”
At its October 3, 2022 meeting, when deliberating the 2023 Waste Reserve Structure and Curbside Organics Program Transition Funding Strategy, the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services recommended to City Council in part:
“2. That the transition funding strategy, as outlined in this report, be included in the 2023 Business Plan and Budget Deliberations submission.”
At its October 25, 2021, meeting, City Council resolved:
“That the City of Saskatoon proceed with Option 2: A fixed monthly rate for the curbside organics utility with a January 2023 implementation, and a variable rate for black cart garbage utility with implementation in 2024.”
2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget: Year Two
In the year prior (2021) to the first year of the 2022/2023 multi-year budget cycle, City Council approved the business plan and budget.
Any significant changes identified in the subsequent years, and as allowed within the policy, were brought forward to City Council’s Business Plan and Budget Reviews, as part of a Proposed Adjustments document, for consideration.
The City’s Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget (MYBB) Policy allows Administration to bring forward adjustments to the budget in the second year of the two-year budget cycle. The City is then able to adapt and respond to budget pressures and opportunities that may be present due to changing municipal, provincial, and federal environments.
The original approved 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget document will not be updated based on changes made in subsequent years. Instead, it will be supplemented with the City Council-Approved Adjustments document, which will provide an overview of adjustments to the property tax, operating expenditures, operating revenues and capital projects.
News Release November 23, 2022: City Council set to deliberate proposed adjustments to the 2023 Budget
City Council deliberated the 2023 Budget on November 28, 29, 2022 - finding savings and approving adjustments to help decrease the property tax rate for 2023 and making important community investments to finalize the 2023 Budget.
News Release November 30, 2022: City Council finalizes 2023 Budget: invests in affordable housing, maintains service levels, finds savings
The approved 2023 Budget documents will be made available here once completed.
2022/2023 Multi-Year Budget Planning Process
The 2022/2023 Multi-Year Budget is the City's second multi-year budget cycle.
Administration follows these same key steps as they did in developing the first multi-year budget at the start of each two-year budget cycle. These four steps will be repeated for the next two-year budget that will be in place for 2024/2025.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use cross-divisional teams to discuss City Council’s strategic priorities and develop options to achieve these priorities.
- Present a list of Business Plan Options to City Council for prioritization.
Setting the indicative municipal property tax rate for the next two years at the start of the two-year budget cycle 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.
2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget: Year Two
In the year prior (2021) to the first year of the 2022/2023 multi-year budget cycle, City Council approved the business plan and budget.
Any significant changes identified in the subsequent years, and as allowed within the policy, were brought forward to City Council’s Business Plan and Budget Reviews, as part of a Proposed Adjustments document, for consideration.
The City’s Multi-Year Business Plan & Budget (MYBB) Policy allows Administration to bring forward adjustments to the budget in the second year of the two-year budget cycle. The City is then able to adapt and respond to budget pressures and opportunities that may be present due to changing municipal, provincial, and federal environments.
The original approved 2022/2023 Multi-Year Business Plan and Budget document will not be updated based on changes made in subsequent years. Instead, it will be supplemented with the City Council-Approved Adjustments document, which will provide an overview of adjustments to the property tax, operating expenditures, operating revenues and capital projects.
City Council will deliberate adjustments to the 2023 Budget on November 28, 29 & 30, 2022, in Council Chambers.
Property Assessment & Tax Tool
Interested in viewing how the municipal (City) portion of your 2021 property tax was 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.