Yorkton Mayor sees some positives in provincial budget

YORKTON - Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said there were some definite positives for the city in the Saskatchewan's 2024-25 Provincial Budget which was unveiled Wednesday.

The good news started with cities, towns, villages and municipalities seeing additional dollars as the budget delivered by Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Donna Harpauer, provides a record increase of $42.4 million in municipal revenue sharing. This is an increase of 14.2 per cent from the previous year, for a total of $340.2 million in unconditional support for municipalities in the province. 

That increase will mean some $480,000 in new dollars for Yorkton, said Hippsley.

“That’s wonderful,” he said, adding the money reflects consumers have been spending more and that has grown the municipal share of the provincial sales tax.

“This is a calculated equation,” he said.

The budget also showed spending to support students and teachers through a record investment of $3.3 billion for the Ministry of Education, up 8.1 per cent over last year's budget. This is an increase of $247.8 million to support Prekindergarten to Grade 12 students, early learning, child care and libraries.

Saskatchewan's 27 school divisions will receive $2.2 billion in school operating funding for the 2024-25 school year - a record increase of $180.0 million, or 8.8 per cent, over the previous year.

Hippsley said the increase in provincial spending will mean roughly $500K in new dollars for both the Good Spirit and Christ the Teach Catholic school divisions.

“This helps look after education in our area,” he said.

"The 2024-25 Budget includes key investments to improve health care," Harpauer said in a provincial release. "A record $7.6 billion investment through the Ministry of Health includes funding to expand patient care and increase access to services to meet the demands of our growing population."

The budget provides the Saskatchewan Health Authority with nearly $4.7 billion, including an operating increase of $248.3 million, or 5.6 per cent, compared to last year - another record investment in the 2024-25 Provincial Budget.

Health care spending includes $1 million in new dollars to continue planning a new regional health care facility for Yorkton, said Hippsley, adding that brings planning dollar investment to $1.75 million.

“We know it’s (a new hospital) coming,” Hippsley said of the continued planning effort.

But, the Mayor had hoped for more.

“I had hoped for a little more information on when (construction might begin),” he said. “We need a timeline.

“We need something to believe in.”

That belief will be needed to really have the community buying into local fundraising efforts to pay the local share of the multi-million dollar project.

And, Hippsley said the local need for a new heath facility is very real.

“Do we need a hospital? Absolutely! The word is need,” he said.

The increased spending means the province will be spending a projected at $20.1 billion in 2024-25 Budget, an increase of $1.5 billion, or 7.9 per cent, over last year's budget. 

Meanwhile the document forecast $19.9 billion in revenue for 2024-25, up $184.2 million from last year.

As a result, the 2024-25 Budget has a projected deficit of $273.2 million, but is expected to return to a surplus position in 2025-26 due to increasing revenues driven by a growing population, labour force and economy.

The deficit is troubling, said Hippsley. He said as a small businessman he knows deficits need to be addressed.

“You can’t just wait and hope it goes away on its own,” he said, adding ultimately it is taxpayers who will need to pay the debt off.