Bathing, flushing, garbage pickup will cost city residents over $22 million

Moose Jaw taxpayers will pay almost $48 million into city accounts this year.

Property taxes are expected to pull in $25.5 million, according to the preliminary budget.

Another $22.2 million will be paid in user fees to three city utilities — water and sewer, sanitary sewer and solid waste collection.

The water and sanitary sewer utility takes the largest chunk of non-property tax revenues at $9.9 million with 95 per cent coming from quarterly fees. Revenues are up a mere 3.6 per cent even with a 15 per cent increase in water rates and an unusually dry summer. Water production costs are up 24 per cent for 2018 from rate increases for water from the Buffalo Pound Filtration plant.

The plant, jointly owned by the Cities of Moose Jaw and Regina, increased rates to fund $40 million upgrades over the next five years.

The budget does not include a water rate increase for this year but city management will provide a recommenda- tion.

Last year, the city scheduled a 15 per cent increase in Moose Jaw water rates every year until 2023. The rate increase must be approved annually. The sanitary sewer utility will rake in $7.7 million, with over 90 per cent in fees. Revenues are up $243,000 from 2017.

The solid waste utility, established in 2017, will see $4.3 million revenues, up from $3.8 million in 2017. Half of revenues, $2.25 million, come from the landfill with a $325,000 in- crease. Curbside recycling brings in $955,000, about the same as last year. Garbage collection will rake in $900,000, up by 300 per cent. That allows the city to reduce last year’s subsidy of $544,000 to zero. The city skims off $191,000 in franchise fees for general revenues

All three utilities set aside reserves totalling $6.3 million for capital projects.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net