Council green lights scaled-down version of downtown library
Councillors narrowly approve borrowing $67.5M to replace Frances Morrison
Saskatoon’s new downtown library appears to be moving forward on a smaller scale.
Saskatoon city council voiced support for a new downtown library, but repeated concern Monday relayed to them by residents for the controversial request for $87.5 million in borrowing.
The debate included an address by renowned Saskatoon author Yann Martel hours before city council made a decision on the project.
“This is a very politically charged issue, which is regrettable,” Coun. Randy Donauer said on the first day of 2020-2021 City of Saskatoon budget talks. “It’s just a little too rich for me.”
At about 9 p.m., council voted 6-5 to approve borrowing of $67.5 million — $20 million lower than requested — with the cost of the project reduced by a similar amount.
Multiple councillors and Mayor Charlie Clark expressed concern about the borrowing request for the proposed $154-million replacement for the 53-year-old Frances Morrison on 23rd Street.
Council decided between four options for reduced borrowing, each proposed by a different councillor: $76.3 million (Coun. Mairin Loewen), $67.5 million (Coun. Darren Hill), $63.5 million (Coun. Zach Jeffries) and $35 million (Coun. Troy Davies).
Jeffries explained that his proposed number simply removed the $24-million contingency fund built into the project from the borrowing request.
Hill, whose proposal was narrowly approved, explained that his proposed number came from similar thinking.
“You tell me you’re going to be on budget, be on budget,” Hill said. “Pull the contingency out.”
The Saskatoon Public Library board needs approval for the borrowing because it is considered to be part of city hall’s debt. The money would be repaid through the property tax charged by the library.
The cost for taxpayers amounts to $5 more a year for a household assessed at $371,000 from 2020 to 2026. The same household would pay a total of $57.57 for the new facility.
“That’s pretty incredible,” Loewen said. “I think that’s an investment we’d be very wise to make.”
Library board chair Lisa Erickson said she was unable to answer questions about the effect of a lower borrowing number, referring to such inquiries as “a crystal ball question.”
Martel, a former library board member, appealed to council to support the project.
“I urge you to be bold,” Martel said. “We’ve been waiting for this for too long. Frances Morrison is decrepit.”
Martel ended his short speech with two haikus in support of the project.
Nobody questioned the need for a new library.
“The building is falling apart,” Jeffries said.
Erickson said the board will meet to discuss the implications of the reduced amount, now $132.9 million, but she was enthusiastic speaking with reporters outside council chamber.
“We’re ecstatic,” Erickson said. “Saskatoon is going to get the new central library it has deserved for more than 20 years.”
As far as the overall city property tax increases for the next two years, they’re lower than what was projected in the city’s first twoyear budget.
Council entered the first day of deliberations with a property tax increase of 3.14 per cent in 2020 and 3.52 per cent in 2021.
Council voted to add another
full-time employee and a half to the fire department’s budget to address what Coun. Ann Iwanchuk called a “staggering” backlog of property maintenance complaints.
Adding spending of $120,000 for the extra property maintenance attention boosted the 2020 property tax hike to 3.19 per cent.
Overall, the city’s two-year budget includes about 117 new fulltime employees.