Numerous organizations on behalf of businesses have asked the City of Saskatoon for some help, even though the City itself is facing a loss in revenue from the pandemic.
The Saskatoon Airport Authority is asking for a tax abatement with scheduled air service 80 per cent below 2019 levels and passenger volumes 98 per cent below last year’s levels. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business had 2 requests for financial support: to freeze commercial property taxes at their current level and to reduce or eliminate fees for business-related permits, like business licenses and renovation permits. Administration says freezing commercial property taxes would mean about $3.6-million less for city revenue. That was the largest request for Council.
Lighthouse Supported Living is asking that fees be waived from the Temporary Reserve Parking Program at an estimated value of $12-thousand. In total, the requests would cost about $5-million. No decision has been made on these requests.
Summary of Requests for Financial Relief or Support from City Council Agenda Notes:
Enterprise Taxi Operators requesting that the City defer or cancel Enterprise taxi licence fees payable from June to September, 2020. This would either be classified as a deferral to the proponent, or if cancellation occurs, then a subsidy to the proponent license holders $12,250 in direct subsidy if the fees were cancelled. Each fee is $350 and there are 35 licenses in this category
Various Developers Requesting that fees be waived from the Temporary Reserve Parking (TRP) Program during the time pay parking requirements were suspended. Specific requests received from Broadway Holdings and Dunmac General Contractors (see Appendix 4) This request is classified as a fee subsidy to the proponent(s) $26,600 in direct subsidy through the TRP program (assumes all TRP customers would be provided this fee relief)
Lighthouse Supported Living requesting that fees be waived from the Temporary Reserve Parking (TRP) Program for this non-profit organization in support of vulnerable populations through the pandemic. This request is classified as a fee subsidy to the proponent $12,000 in direct subsidy through the TRP program assuming reserved spaces will be required for this use until the end of 2020
Councillor Block & Tourism Saskatoon, BIDS To waive parking patio fees for 2020 and 2021. This would be classified as a fee subsidy to the successful applicants $28,000 in direct subsidies for 2020; unknown amount in terms of indirect opportunity costs (i.e., foregone parking revenues)
Baydo Developments Requesting all building and development permit fees to be waived on a “one-off” basis for the project at 410- 5th Avenue North. This would be classified as a fee subsidy to the proponent $750,000 in direct subsidy through the Building Permit Program and $45,000 in direct subsidy through the Development Permit Program
Saskatoon Airport Authority requesting that the City revise the Tax abatement agreement to use 2020 passenger data. This request is classified as a tax expenditure as the City would forego tax revenue to support the proponent $500,000 in property tax relief, in addition to the $314,000 existing incentive
Tourism Saskatoon requesting that the City make a one-time payment to support a new plan to support recovery. This would be classified as a direct grant to the organization $145,000 in an additional grant payment to Tourism Saskatoon
Canadian Federation of Independent Business – Two requests relate to direct financial support: (1) freeze commercial property taxes at their current level and (2) reduce or eliminate fees for business-related permits (e.g. business licenses, renovation permits, etc.). This would be a classified as both a tax expenditure and a fee subsidy to businesses The total value of this request is unknown. Freezing commercial property taxes at 2019 levels would mean a revenue impact of $3.6 million
