Council will gather Thursday for the fourth in a summer series of special sessions meant to find ways to cut projected funding gaps of over $50 million in 2024 and over $20 million in 2025.
These have been brought down over the course of three previous sessions, with council endorsing recommendations to take about $26 million off the 2024 projected shortfall, and a little over $2 million from 2025. That means council will be coming into the fourth special session from a starting point of trying to bring down tax hikes currently sitting at 8.54 per cent in 2024 and 6.04 per cent in 2025, should no further action be taken.
Council has already gone over some of the larger business lines like transportation and the city fire department, and is awaiting a preliminary budget report to see if any savings can be found from city police.The effort to remove the name of Canada’s first prime minister from a Saskatoon street is expected to come to a vote Wednesday at council’s regular business meeting.and debate at council’s planning committee.