Property taxes rising 4.99% in Saskatoon

Residents of Saskatoon will pay an extra 4.99 per cent in property taxes next year, after city council approved a budget that commits to increased work on road repairs.

Council members were presented with an option of increasing taxes by 5.17 per cent, but trimmed that down, in part, by nixing a proposal to have snow plows work residential streets.

The approved budget will see a boost in spending on the police department and land development.

As well, about a quarter of the increase willbe dedicated to more spending on road repairs, with the city promising to spend a total of $11.6 million in that area.

Councillor Mairin Loewen called that move long overdue.

"The situation that we're in right now, not just with roads but a number of infrastructure projects, the reason we're in the situation that we're in is because of years of putting it off to the side of the desk," Loewen said Thursday.

Another council member, Pat Lorje, agreed Saskatoon had to spend more to maintain roads.

"People can't get around on the roads if they're failing," Lorje said, adding, "I can give you examples of where we've had to take city roads back into gravel because they were failing."

While residential streets will not get snow plow service, the budget for snow clearing on main roads was being augmented.

The city is also going to spend money to clear snow from areas around schools.

According to the city, a property owner with a house valued at $400,000 will see their municipal tax bill increase by about $80.

A budget with a provision for snow plow service to residential areas two times per winter would have added another $15 on the tax bill.