Which civic services are most important to you? Would you like to have your say on how your property taxes are used? Would you like an opportunity to share your priorities and preferences on the City’s 2017 Budget?

With a goal to encourage participation in the annual budget process amongst residents, the City of Saskatoon will be at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market this Saturday, June 4, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to gather public feedback and promote Citizen Budget the City’s online interactive and educational tool.

Citizen Budget asks residents if the City should spend more, spend less, or spend the same on a variety of key civic services. The public can experience the complexity of building a City budget, and see the trade-offs that need to be considered when increasing, decreasing or providing the same level of service. Attendees at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, and at future locations will also have an opportunity to Have Their Say via a dot exercise where they’re invited to indicate their service level expectations and priorities for Budget 2017.

This is the second year for Citizen Budget. Last spring, the City held a public open house at City Hall, and asked residents to complete a survey online and at “on the road” locations. Citizen Budget launched in fall 2015; the public engagement budget activities are earlier this year due to the 2016 Civic Elections, October 26, 2016.

By ‘taking it on the road’ and visiting various locations, City staff hope to increase public participation and feedback that will be considered by Administration and City Council prior to Budget 2017 deliberations this December.

Future dates and locations for Citizen Budget On the Road can be found on saskatoon.ca/financialfuture. The online Citizen Budget tool is open until June 24. Residents wishing to complete a paper survey on their service level preferences, can do so in the lobby of City Hall.

Citizen Budget, and other public engagement activities such as the Annual Civic Services Survey, align with all of the City of Saskatoon’s Strategic Goals. We invest in what matters most to residents; the services we provide are aligned with what citizens expect; when people are actively engaged in the future and governance of their city, and through conversation and working together, we move the city forward, together.