Saskatoon's 2026 property tax increase is the highest in a decade

Saskatoon’s 6.7% Tax Hike: The Cost of Unchecked Municipal Spending

When Saskatoon City Council passed a 6.7% property tax increase for 2026—with another 5.81% rate hike queued up for 2027—it delivered a direct hit to local households. For a median-assessed home, the city frames an extra $13 a month as a minor inconvenience. But for families already navigating inflation, grocery price shocks, and mortgage renewals, municipal spending is fast becoming a major affordability crisis.

The Hidden Bill: Beyond the Headlines

The official 6.7% headline figure represents only part of the burden being shifted onto property owners:

• Compounding Increases: The median single-family home will pay roughly $158 more in property tax alone in 2026, followed immediately by another ~$146 jump in 2027.

• Fee Inflation: Council continues to rely on targeted user fees to mask overall budget expansion, including increased municipal utility rates and new charges for basic municipal services like sewer line cleaning.

• The Squeezed Homeowner: Single-family residential properties carry roughly 68% of the city’s overall municipal tax burden, making families the default backstop for municipal deficits.

Expenditure vs. Core Services

From a taxpayer advocacy perspective, the core issue isn't whether civic operations require funding—it's Council's refusal to prioritize core municipal duties over expansion:

• Expanding Scope: Budget additions for new dedicated transit safety teams, additional city payroll additions, and civic facility perks expand municipal government beyond its basic scope.

• Lack of Efficiency: Rather than finding internal savings or trimming non-essential administrative overhead, Council treats tax hikes as an automatic lever to balance the books.

• Infrastructure Delays: Families continue to see basic services like road maintenance and winter snow removal lag behind, even as their tax bills rise year after year.

The Taxpayer Mandate

Governments must live within their means, just as working families are forced to do. By treating taxpayer dollars as an unlimited pool of capital, City Hall is eroding local housing affordability. The Saskatchewan Taxpayers Association calls on Saskatoon City Council to audit non-essential spending, cap payroll growth, and return its focus strictly to core infrastructure and essential services.