News Releases

Saskatoon has some of the lowest municipal property tax levels in Canada due to its prudent fiscal management and relatively diverse revenue mix.  In 2024 for example, a residential property owner would pay about $6.35 for every $1,000 of assessed value while non-residential properties would pay about $10.35 for every $1,000 of assessed value.

Saskatoon is among the very few cities that set an explicit tax ratio as the preferred approach to distribute the tax burden between residential and non-residential properties needed to fund City services. The current Tax Ratio Policy in Saskatoon, first approved by City Council in 2017 and maintained in 2021, set a tax ratio of 1.59 to 1 (or 1.63 to 1 after including commercial appeal contingency). This means that for every $1.00 in property tax paid by a residential property owner, a non-residential property owner paid $1.63 on an equivalent assessed value.

“It’s important to note that the City does not collect any additional property tax revenue because of reassessment or tax policy decisions such as the tax ratio. These changes and decisions result in a redistribution of the overall property tax shared amongst property owners,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. “While individual properties may be impacted with property tax increases or decreases, overall, no new property tax revenue is generated from these changes and decisions for the City. In other words, the tax pie stays the same size but the way the pie is divided is what shifts.”

After the provincially legislated 2025 Reassessment, the Standing Policy Committee (SPC) on Finance on February 5, 2025, was briefed on the changes to property values, notably that residential properties assessed value in Saskatoon increased by 13%, on average, while assessed values for non-residential properties decreased, on average, by 2%. These results are reflective of the market conditions as of January 1, 2023.

Due to the relative increase in residential property values and a relative decrease in non-residential property values from the 2025 reassessment, the property tax ratio would have to adjust to collect the same amount of tax revenue from both residential and non-residential sectors.  To achieve this, a ratio of 1.88 to 1, the revenue neutral ratio, would be required to maintain the same distribution of the municipal property tax burden for both property classes.

As outlined in the report heading to the March 5, 2025, SPC on Finance meeting the Administration is recommending a tax ratio of 1.75 to 1.  Some of the reasons this ratio is being recommended include:

1. Splitting the difference between the existing ratio of 1.63 (including commercial contingency) and the revenue neutral ratio of 1.88 acknowledges the shifts in value the City is seeing between residential and non-residential from reassessment while at the same time offers some level of smoothing to avoid significant shifts between the classes;
2. This decision is consistent with past Council decisions where the City has lowered the ratio from 2.41 in 1998 to 1.63 in 202, when the City was seeing larger commercial value increases as compared to residential.  In this reassessment cycle, as residential values are seeing larger increases than non-residential values, it is consistent to have a corresponding movement in the ratio to minimize significant shifts as in the past;
3. At a 1.75 ratio, Saskatoon will continue to have one of the lowest property tax ratios and rates in western Canada, the city would maintain a competitive edge in terms of non-residential property taxes ; and
4. Even with an increase in the ratio to 1.75, many non-residential properties within Saskatoon will see a decrease in their property taxes. In 2024, the City collected 32% of its total property tax revenue from non-residential properties; with the proposed recommendation of a 1.75 ratio, this will fall to 30.7% in 2025.  This means that overall, the City will collect less from non-residential properties in 2025 than it did in 2024.  As 1.88 is the revenue neutral ratio, anything below this amount will still see a shift from commercial properties to residential.

At the SPC Finance Committee’s next meeting on March 5, 2025, Committee will be presented with five tax ratio approaches/options for consideration. The options presented by Administration differ in terms of property tax implications for the various property classes. There will be some trade-offs if Council decides to redistribute the municipal property tax burden amongst property classes. Council will review all tax ratio policy options presented, including Administration’s recommendation to adopt Option 3, which sets the non-residential (commercial) to residential tax ratio at 1:75 to 1 for the years 2025-2029. As noted, a 1.75 to 1 tax ratio would still be among the lowest in Western Canada, and the effective tax rate on non-residential would also remain one of the lowest in Canada.

“There is no perfect answer to what the City’s tax ratio should be,” Hack adds. “There are multiple considerations that go into this decision including the impact of the 2025 reassessment, how competitive Saskatoon’s residential and non-residential property tax rates are compared to other major western Canadian cities and overall principles around how much each property class should contribute to the City’s operational requirements. Overall, I am confident Committee will consider all implications to make its best decision.”

Visit saskatoon.ca/propertytax

On March 5, 2025, the City of Saskatoon will present the Preliminary Year-End Financial Results for the year ending December 31, 2024, to the Standing Policy Committee on Finance.

“I am pleased to report that the City’s preliminary 2024 year-end financial results indicate a surplus of $12.27 million, representing a 1.96% favourable variance from our approved civic budget,” says Clae Hack, Chief Financial Officer. “The City’s investment portfolio performed better than expected and contributed $9.14 million to this surplus, thanks to stronger interest rates and higher bond returns than originally planned in the budget.”

After accounting for the $9.14 million investment income surplus, the remaining civic operating budget realized a surplus of $3.13 million, equivalent to a 0.50% variance from the approved civic budget of $626.18 million. Some of the other key variances in 2024 that contributed to this surplus include: (Appendix 2 provides a detailed overview of all operating budget variances in 2024)

Transit Operations generated a $4.96 million surplus: 

• Transit revenues were $2.10 million higher than anticipated due to increased ridership and higher than expected UPass revenue.
• in addition, Transit had expenditure savings of $2.86 million primarily due to fuel and salary savings and vacant positions.

Administration engaged to find corporate-wide savings of $4.87 million:

• to help offset budgetary pressures, Administration gained favourable savings in staff training and travel, staff vacancies, materials, office supplies and other expenditures among the Civic Operating or Property Tax supported Business Lines.

Offset by a $6.48 million deficit in the Snow & Ice Management program: 

• activation of the Roadways Emergency Snow Response Plan (ERP) in March 2024 resulted in a $5.50 million deficit.
• 9 additional snow events in 2024 compared to the annual budgeted number of 5 to 6 snow events, caused an additional $980,000 overage.

“Administration recommends that the majority of the 2024 surplus be allocated to the City’s Fiscal Stabilization Reserve, which has been heavily relied upon in recent years,” Hack adds. “We recommend transferring funds to bring the Fiscal Stabilization Reserve to $17.04 million, leaving $6.90 million in the Snow and Ice Management Contingency Reserve. This allocation will help offset future operating budget deficits or other unforeseen challenges that may arise in the coming years.” 

Utilities 2024 Year-End Results: Details Appendix 3

The following City Utility surpluses or deficits were realized in 2024, resulting in an overall $10.73 million surplus or 2.46% positive variance from the approved budget:

• Water Utility reported a year-end surplus of $5.80 million.
• Wastewater Utility reported a year-end surplus of $4.10 million.
• Waste Services Utility reported a year-end surplus of $757,018.
• Storm Water Management Utility reported a year-end surplus of $220,129.
• Saskatoon Light & Power (SL&P) reported a deficit of $145,820.

The recommendations on the allocation of the surplus funds in 2024 are subject to the confirmation of the City’s year-end financial status as conducted by the annual external accountant’s audit process. The City’s 2024 Annual Report will be next released this summer.

The City of Saskatoon is committed to ongoing financial transparency, accountability and sound financial management. This is evidenced in its historically stable budgetary performance; the City has retained the ‘AAA’/Stable credit rating for twenty-three years, since S&P first began affirming the City’s credit rating in 2002.

For more information visit saskatoon.ca/budget

The City of Saskatoon is looking for resident input on creating a more accessible, inclusive and barrier free community for everyone who lives, works and plays here.

“Over the next year, the City must develop an accessibility plan that reflects the needs and experiences of all residents,” says Stryker Calvez, Director of Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) for the City of Saskatoon. “We recognize the responsibility we have to find, fix, and remove barriers so that everyone, especially people with accessibility needs, can be part of strong and inclusive communities.” Developing an accessibility plan for the City is a requirement of the Accessible Saskatchewan Act, which states that the City must have a plan in place by December 2025.

In order to create this plan, the City is looking for resident participation to complete an accessibility survey. The survey opens February 27 and can be found on the City’s Engage page. It will remain open until March 27, 2025. After completing the survey, residents will have an option to sign up to participate in focus groups and to be eligible for a random draw for one of many $50 gift certificates.

“We have done a lot of work to make these surveys as accessible as possible,” says Calvez. “There are options to complete long or short form surveys and we have tested them to ensure they are compatible with assistive technology, such as screen readers.” Paper copies of the survey will be made available and other options exist for those who request them.

Developing a plan for improved accessibility is not just about making buildings more accessible, although that is important. It is about providing information and employment opportunities in more accessible ways such as making information assistive technology friendly and using language translation services. “We also need to hear from our residents about how we can improve their accessibility and our accommodations when it comes to transportation, service animals and buying goods and services from the City,” says Calvez.

Removing barriers and improving accessibility in our communities is a complex task. “We fully recognize that we may not get everything right the first time,” says Calvez. “There is going to be some trial and error but we are committed to working with our communities to create a more inclusive community for everyone.”

Residents can learn more about the plan on our Accessibility Plan page.
 

The City of Saskatoon is proud to announce its recognition as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2025. This honour reflects the City's ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

"At the City, we want our employee population to reflect the residents that we serve every day and have our community see themselves in our organization. Every year we are improving, and we remain committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive," says Chelsey Mack, Director of HR Shared Services.

The City’s diversity and inclusiveness initiatives are wide-ranging and ongoing from reaching out to community through career fairs and recruitment presentations, to hosting a Reconciliation Town Hall for employees where a smudging ceremony was held in council chambers for the first time.

The City also values the essential connection between mental wellness and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves, free from the need to hide any part of their identity,” says Mack.

Canada's Best Diversity Employers recognizes employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs. This competition recognizes successful diversity initiatives in a variety of areas, including programs for employees from five groups: (a) women; (b) members of visible minorities; (c) persons with disabilities; (d) Indigenous peoples; and (e) lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peoples.

Canada's Best Diversity Employers for 2025 are published and distributed online today in The Globe and Mail and on Eluta.ca. The City has now been honoured with this award for the tenth time.

The City of Saskatoon, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), the Graham Mitchell Foundation through the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and Nutrien, hosted a special event today to celebrate the graduates of the Civic Internship Program.  

The unique leadership development program started October 2024 and was designed to provide mentorship, learning and career-building opportunities for participants from equity-deserving communities. 

 "As mayor, I am committed to fostering opportunities like this internship—programs that connect newcomers with experienced leaders in our community. When we provide all citizens with the chance to develop and apply their skills, we strengthen our city and ensure a brighter future for everyone," says Mayor Cynthia Block. 

The program consisted of two critical components: networking with contacts at decision-making levels and working on a single project/report based on insights gained from those meetings. The work resulted in a final report “Bridging the Gap - Enhancing Newcomer Employment and Workforce Diversity in Saskatoon.”  

“When people from different backgrounds get involved in local decisions, we create stronger, more fair communities for everyone,” says Mohammed Hashim, CRRF Chief Executive Officer. “We’re honoured to have supported the City of Saskatoon’s first Civic Internship graduates, and we look forward to seeing them reap the fruits of their labour.”

Through this program, participants had the opportunity to work directly with the Mayor, City Councillors, senior City Administration and community leaders, gaining insights into municipal governance and its connection to community development. Foundational to the program was the history of Indigenous peoples including the residential school system, the 60s Scoop and MMIWG2S.*  

"Participating in the City of Saskatoon Internship Program was a transformative experience for me as a newcomer.” graduate Muna Jibreal says.  “It opened doors to understanding the City's operations, connecting with the community, and finding my place in Saskatoon's vibrant landscape."  

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*Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit persons 

Winter BYXE Week will take place February 15 - 23, 2025. Many activities and events are planned throughout the week, including Bike to Work Day on Thursday, February 20. Local advocacy group, Saskatoon Cycles, is coordinating the events in partnership with the City of Saskatoon, including a BYXE Week scavenger hunt and photo contest.  

“Riding a bike is great for physical and mental health; regular exercise leaves you feeling refreshed, energized and alert,” says Nathalie Baudais, Transportation Engineering Manager. 

“Don’t limit your cycling adventures to warm weather seasons. Add winter cycling to your list of must-do winter activities like skating, sledding, skiing and snowshoeing. It's a convenient and low-cost form of everyday transportation that benefits Saskatoon by decreasing traffic congestion, noise and air pollution.”  

BYXE Week is a great time to explore Saskatoon. Visit saskatoon.ca/byxe for bike routes and safety tips. 

Bike to Work Day will be held on Thursday, February 20. Commuter Stations, sponsored by local organizations and businesses, will be serving refreshments and snacks for people on bikes during their morning and afternoon commutes. Visit saskatooncycles.org/winter-byxe for a list station locations and times. 

This initiative underscores the joy of biking, promoting good health, saving money and contributing to environmental sustainability.  

If you live too far away to ride your bike, consider taking Saskatoon Transit part of the way. All buses are equipped with front bike racks that are free and easy to use. Plan your trip using the Transit app. 

For detailed information and event updates, residents can visit  saskatooncycles.org/winter-byxe and join our Facebook Event for updates! 

Over the next several weeks, visitors to the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Zoo) will start to see the Zoo animals preparing for the cooler winter temperatures ahead. Many species including the snow leopard, lynx, bobcats, bison and caribou thrive in cooler temperatures thanks to some very cool natural adaptations.

“Caribou are well adapted to life in cold climates,” says Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager. “The herd at the Zoo is already working on developing their dense undercoat made up of ultra-fine fur and a longer overcoat of hollow guard hairs that will keep them warm throughout the winter. Caribou also have large, sharp hooves that act like snowshoes allowing them to walk on top of the snow.”

Other animals like the grizzly bears and prairie dogs, are getting ready to sleep away the cold winter days.

“Mistaya and Koda have started making their beds so to speak,” says Mitchell. “You might see the bears combing through the extra straw and leaves the zookeepers have placed throughout their habitat. Mistaya and Koda like to carefully select each leaf and piece of straw, only taking the best of the best back to their den to make their bed.”

Dingoes Maple and Euci will soon be off-exhibit as the cool weather settles in. While the dingoes love to play in the snow for brief periods of time, they will be spending most of their time in their indoor habitat in favour of warmer temperatures.

A reminder to purchase your 2023 Zoo Season Passes before December 31, 2022 to receive 2022 rates. Zoo Season Passes are available for purchase at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo or any Leisure Centre.

The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visit saskatoon.ca/zoo for more information or to plan your next visit.

Helping Canadians upgrade their homes to be more energy-efficient fights climate change, creates good jobs and helps save on monthly bills.

The Community Efficiency Financing initiative is offered through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) delivered by FCM and funded by the Government of Canada. CEF helps communities of all sizes implement innovative local financing programs that directly help homeowners cut their greenhouse gas emissions, make their homes more energy-efficient, comfortable and affordable, while creating local jobs and keeping the local economy moving.

This initiative is one of the ways GMF continues to build on its 20-year record of supporting transformative environmental initiatives at the community level. The Government of Canada has invested $1.65 billion in the GMF since its inception, enabling municipalities to support projects like this that will leverage local resources to drive innovative solutions.

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Dozens of residents in Saskatoon’s Haultain and Queen Elizabeth neighbourhoods can rest a little easier knowing there is less of a likelihood of their properties flooding during intense rainfalls. A new dry storm pond in W.W. Ashley District Park, enjoyed as a newly developed park and sports field during dry weather, officially opened today.

The new dry storm pond is the first of nine to be completed under the Flood Control Strategy (FCS) which was approved by City Council in 2018. The second project is underway right now in Churchill Park and will open in fall 2023. In early 2023, construction will start on a dry storm pond in Weaver Park and six more FCS projects will be built between 2024 and 2027. The Government of Canada has contributed $21.6 million towards Saskatoon’s Flood Control Strategy through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.

“Our Government is proud to be contributing to Saskatoon’s Flood Control Strategy,” said the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “By investing in disaster mitigation and adaptation, we are safeguarding Saskatonians’ homes and livelihoods against the natural events brought on by climate change and building more resilient Prairie communities.”

“The W.W. Ashley Park Dry Storm Pond has already proven to be a tremendous success,” said Saskatoon Mayor, Charlie Clark. “During a significant rain event this summer, it prevented flooding in an area of the city that historically experiences floods. It also provides accessible walking paths and retains recreational space and green space when not containing storm water. The City has plans for more dry ponds and will continue work on projects in the Flood Control Strategy to help minimize flooding in the highest risk locations in the city. Through continued partnerships, we’re able to deliver better infrastructure to residents that help mitigate damage from natural events.”

“We have a well thought out strategy in place to ensure all of our projects are built and functioning by 2027,” said Russ Munro, Director of Saskatoon Water. “Flooding is never ideal, but I think we were fortunate to witness how this first flood mitigation project actually ended up exceeding our expectations during the rainstorm on June 20^th. It demonstrated these projects are a solution when it comes to protecting neighbourhood homes from being devastated by floods.”

Dry storm ponds hold water that would otherwise cause nearby flooding during intense rainfalls. The water flows into storm drains, then through underground pipes into the dry storm pond, where it then flows toward and empties into the South Saskatchewan River.

Once the FCS projects are completed, the City anticipates seeing a substantial decrease in the amount of neighbourhood flooding in the top 10 highest risk areas of Saskatoon.

For more information about the FCS, visit saskatoon.ca/floodplan.

Saskatoon Transit received 40 bus stop nominations from residents during the 2022 edition of the Bus Stop Blues campaign.  

As part of the campaign, which is now in its fourth year, stop nominations are grouped into one of three categories: sidewalk/accessibility; new shelter/repair; or general maintenance. This year, 90% of the nominations were for either for a new shelter or repairs to an existing shelter.

A total of 19 nominations were received through this year’s campaign for a new shelter, all of which will be reviewed in detail.

“When determining a new shelter location, we look at safety and connectivity, property lines and also examine how a location request correlates to what is proposed within the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network,” says Cory Shrigley, Customer Support & Engagement Manager with Saskatoon Transit. “Boarding data, direction of travel, service frequency, and whether it serves multiple routes is also taken into consideration.”

Shrigley also notes that many of this year’s campaign nominations involved broken glass at existing bus shelters, these will all be addressed in the coming weeks. When the glass in a shelter is broken, it is cleaned up as soon as it can be, on the day it is reported to Saskatoon Transit, with glass typically replaced within a week. However, this summer many shelters were being smashed on the same day as glass was repaired with the total cost of replacing all glass in a shelter being $2,000.

“The Bus Stop Blues campaign is important to us, as it allows riders an opportunity to communicate where the priority areas are to improve the transit experience” says Shrigley. “Safety, reliability, and ease of access are essential to increasing ridership.”

“As we work towards a BRT system, Transit connectivity becomes even more important. We’re looking to the future in terms of the locations that make sense, along with responding to the needs of those we serve today,” says Taha Najam, Transit Planning Engineer.

The total investment for bus stop improvements from September 2022 – September 2023 is $100,000.