Mayor vows to 'keep fighting for Meewasin every step of the way' as council gives MVA funding boost

Saskatoon city councillors have voted in favour of giving the Meewasin Valley Authority more money this year to help make up for provincial cuts, meaning residents of the city will be looking at a 4.6 per cent tax increase.

During Tuesday's deliberations on the city's 2018 budget, councillors approved $286,000 in funding for the MVA, some of which will be funded as part of this year's tax hike. 

"This partnership is vital and critical," Coun. Hilary Gough said. "What I have heard from citizens of Saskatoon is that Meewasin is critical and our river valley is the life blood of our community."

The Meewasin Valley Authority is the organization that manages the South Saskatchewan River's banks and maintains trails and canoe launches in and around the city. It also handles a range of educational programing and is tasked with the protection of some wildlife habitats. 

In the provincial budget, the MVA saw its funding slashed by $443,000. Before the cuts, the province contributed around 20 per cent of Meewasin's budget.

Now the city has stepped in to fill the void — at least for another year. That funding bump for the MVA, plus some extra cash for park maintenance, brings the total tax hike for 2018 up to 4.6 per cent. Earlier, council had been looking at a potential 4.9 per cent increase.​

Many councillors expressed fears that without that funding, the MVA would not be in a position to go back to the province to ask for more long-term, stable funding. 

"If we don't intervene now, there may not be an opportunity to have those longer-term discussions," Coun. Mairin Loewen said. 

Mayor Charlie Clark told the council that he speaks about the MVA every time he meets with provincial leaders. He said the authority's funding will likely become an election issue if it is not restored by the province. 

"I am going to keep fighting for Meewasin every step of the way," Clark said. 

Council also voted to provide $45,000 in annual funding to help fund the city's downtown rink, and approved an extra $240,000 for park maintenance. 

Extra snow removal axed 

Council voted against a plan on the books to spend an additional $1.2 million to put more plows on the road this winter. 

While some councillors expressed skepticism about the extra cash and most of it was eventually gutted from the budget, Coun. Ann Iwanchuk offered a passionate defence of spending the money. 

"This is a need, this isn't a want.… This impacts everybody, whether you're a cyclist, whether you use transit," Iwanchuk said.

"I'm very concerned when we don't act on the needs and desires of citizens."

Clark said while the city is facing deficits, he was unable to support an increase to the snow removal budget. But he said he wanted to be clear that snow removal is not being cut.

"We have not cut anything to snow this year.… The snow budget has not been cut, it has not been added to."

CBC reporter Charles Hamilton is at city hall and will be tweeting live. On mobile? Click here.