The city of Saskatoon may be proposing the largest property tax increase in 26 years. The early estimates are that this increase could come in at a whooping 8.6 per cent. Any taxes related to the school district or education would be additional to the proposed 8.6 per cent. As mentioned this would be the largest tax increase in 26 years. Recently the city of Regina released their initial budget with a proposed tax increase of 3.9 per cent. City officials indicate the reason for the large proposed tax increase is to pay for the growth of our city. The city of Saskatoon has been experiencing incredible growth over the past few years and there is a huge demand for Saskatoon real estate. Over the past few years the city has developed several new Saskatoon neighborhoods including Stonebridge, Willowgrove and Hampton Village. There are additional neighborhoods planned for the next few years as well. It is extremely expensive to bring services to the new real estate developments so this tax increase would help off-set the cost.
Mayor Don Atchison has indicated that this tax increase is far too high and that he expects the city to scale back the budget for 2008. As the city of Saskatoon continues to grow and the demand for Saskatoon real estate continues to increase we will see increases in our cost of living. This ranges from everything from property taxes to even the cost of parking.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
New housing starts hit a 30-year record high in February in Saskatoon according to the