City of Yorkton proposes 3.93% property tax increase in 2023 preliminary budget
![yorkton City Hall Yorkton City Hall is pictured. (Kaylyn Whibbs / CTV News Yorkton)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2021/3/19/yorkton-city-hall-1-5354708-1675123848429.png)
Yorkton City Administration has tabled its preliminary budget for 2023 which could raise taxes to 3.93 per cent, $6.50 to $7 more per average property owner.
The proposed changes include an increase of 2.93 per cent to the operations budget and a 1 per cent increase to the capital budget.
The budget was presented to council during Monday’s council meeting.
“Knowing that we had inflation to deal with and post-COVID, we knew we were up against a real battle. Council doesn’t want to raise taxes, ever,” Mayor Mitch Hippsley said. “We’re at a reasonable number, and I think that people can absorb this."
According to Finance Manager Ashley Stradeski, a previous draft of the budget had an increase to 8 per cent. She said most residents who responded said wanted the increase in costs to be taken on by user fees for city-owned facilities as opposed to additional taxation.
“We took a holistic approach, and looked at other sources of revenue,” Stradeski said. “The biggest impact (was) straight up utilities … essentially, anything the city has to buy has gone up drastically.”
Residents will now have time to provide feedback to council on its preliminary budget.
Public consultation is the next step in finalizing the budget, which is now available on the city’s website.
The budget will be brought back to council at its meeting on Feb. 13.
Last year, Yorkton saw an increase of 4.86 per cent, with increases of 2.36 per cent to RCMP related costs, 0.5 per cent to cover decreases in provincial Municipal Revenue Sharing and one per cent each for the operations and capital budgets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6943621.1719510587!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Watch Live Now: Canadian analysis ahead of the CNN Presidential Debate
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to go head-to-head tonight in the first of two planned presidential debates. Here's how to watch the CNN Presidential Debate, Power Play's pre- and post-debate specials, and follow along in our real-time CTVNews.ca live expert analysis and commentary by debate and body-language experts.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'No additional flights will be cancelled': WestJet avoids strike as feds order binding arbitration
A potential strike by WestJet airplane mechanics would upend travel plans for 250,000 customers over the Canada Day long weekend, the airline says — and cost it millions of dollars.
BREAKING Nunavut judge sentences Toronto woman to 3 years prison for Inuit identity fraud
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
Canada's top court rejects appeal from Sask. man who murdered wife
The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected an application from a Saskatoon man who murdered his wife.
Where do new Canadians come from? India and Philippines take top spots
Canada has welcomed more than 3.9 million new citizens since 2005, with nearly one third coming from India, the Philippines or China, according to a CTVNews.ca analysis.
Marilyn Monroe's former Los Angeles home declared a historic monument to save it from demolition
Fans of Marilyn Monroe have won a battle to preserve her mark on Los Angeles and are a step closer to seeing a towering statue of the silver screen icon remain in Palm Springs.
Man charged with threatening to kill presidential candidates found dead as jury was deciding verdict
A New Hampshire man charged with threatening the lives of presidential candidates last year has been found dead while a jury was deciding his verdict, according to court filings Thursday.
AI regulation 'a start,' needs to 'have teeth': Hinton, godfather of AI, says
So-called godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton says he's 'pleased' governments are starting to take artificial intelligence, and the possible regulations of it, seriously.