Scope of amusement tax 2.0 would need to be ironed out: city

Exactly what a revived Saskatoon amusement tax would cover would need "to be determined" — provided it went ahead, says the city's director of finance.

Bringing back the tax, axed in 2007, is one of nine "viable" ideas the city received from its employees and is now passing on to city councillors. It's part of a bid to shave down the expected 5.59-per-cent property tax hike in 2018.

• Revived amusement tax, other ideas could virtually eliminate 2018 property tax hike: city

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The previous nine-per-cent amusement tax, which was charged at theatres (including cinemas) and events, netted the city $535,605 in 2004.

A report to city councillors says that "Regina and Winnipeg charge 10 per cent on the price of admission to events and theatres."

But Clae Hack, Saskatoon's director of finance, said the scope of Saskatoon Amusement Tax 2.0 would need to be fleshed out.

The city does have one overriding principle in mind, though.

"It's really more geared at the people who are using amusement," as opposed to general taxpayers, said Hack.

"So if you go to TCU Place or you go to a movie, and you pay a certain amusement tax fee on your ticket, that fee would then be reinvested into more amusement options or upgrades or enhancements to that area of service we provide."

Dealing with $12M shortfall

City councillors will gather on Monday at 1 p.m. CST to discuss the idea and eight others to lower the property tax hike.

The other ideas are:

• Removing $1.2 million from the 2018 budget meant to expand how many areas of the city receive snow and ice removal service.
• Watering gardens and other green spaces less.
• A fee for secondary suites.
• Permanently reducing the $3.7-million-a-year investment in the fund that provides money for things like the development of dog parks and the city's plan to accommodate an estimated future population of 500,000 people.
• No longer printing and mailing out the garbage and recycling collection calendar — an idea welcomed by 70 per cent of respondents to a recent survey.
• Only collecting garbage every two weeks throughout the year.
• Increasing the number of paid-for billboards the city allows on high traffic rights-of-way like Circle Drive.
• Charging individuals for waste as a utility in order to "reward waste reduction and diversion."

If all nine ideas were to be approved, the property tax hike for 2018 would be lowered to nearly zero per cent and help make up the approximately $12-million shortfall the city faces next year.

That shortfall is due to the provincial government no longer paying grants in lieu of taxes for some of its Crown corporations operating on city-owned land.