This is Vic Dubois with today’s Coffeetalk.

After receiving and paying my last City of Saskatoon Utility bill I was curious as to what the next one would be covering late August to late September because the one I paid that covered late July through late August was unusually large.  I know we use more water outside in mid-summer, especially this year, but our utility bills seem to be growing and growing and growing.  There’s the charge for water which fluctuates month to month, a water service charge, a sewer charge, a sewer service charge, an infrastructure charge, recycling charge, storm water management charge, and to top it off, a temporary flood protection charge of $1.15.  Now our city council has decided to start changing residential garbage and curbside organics pickup to be a utility rather than included in the mill rate, ie., our property taxes, as they are now.  It won’t start for a while but while our taxes might go down our utility bills will go up so I can’t see any saving for property owners.  My memory says council had debated this before the 2020 civic election and decided it was a no-go by a 6-5 margin, but all it takes is changes on council to bring it back on the table, rescind the previous motion, and swing the vote the other way, and that’s what has happened.

That’s Coffeetalk.  I’m Vic Dubois.