YORKTON — The Yorkton Business Improvement District (YBID) is seeing an influx of new and expanding local enterprises, but soaring inflation has left the organization facing a $23,275 deficit.
Operating expenses for the business group climbed to $287,275 over the past year, outstripping its total revenue of $264,000. In a presentation to city council Monday night, executive director Kaitlyn Kitzan highlighted the commercial growth but requested a new 50/50 cost-sharing agreement with the city to index municipal funding against rising operational costs.
Inflation drives deficit
The financial shortfall stems from the rising costs of raw materials, contracts and municipal infrastructure projects. Major line items over the past year included a $50,000 gateway welcome sign built in partnership with the city, $45,000 dedicated to downtown flowers and landscaping upkeep, and a $20,000 Clean Sweep maintenance contract.
"We are running a deficit of $23,000. Now, we do have investments and savings to cover that," Kitzan said, noting that the squeeze is tied directly to the cost of purchasing. "Everything has gone up when you go to purchase things."
The operating deficit comes despite a minor bump in baseline commercial revenues. The district's business levy brought in $121,000 last year, up from $114,000 previously.
"That means that we're seeing more businesses moving into our district or expanding, which is good news," Kitzan said.
Push to update bylaws
To repair the structural funding gap, YBID officials are targeting a comprehensive overhaul of its governing regulations.
"Our bylaw has not been updated since 2012," Kitzan said, explaining that she will meet with city administration next week to draft amendments before returning to council. "It's kind of time to re-look at our bylaw, clean up some language, and we're also looking at other BIDs across Saskatchewan and what their bylaw looks like."
Alongside the language cleanup, Kitzan is formally proposing a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for the annual business levy. Under the current framework, municipal funding is capped at $100,000.
"Our money has not changed since 2012," Kitzan said. "The board would like to ask if we could do like a match levy matching. So if we have $121,000, you guys would match $120[,000]. So it's 50/50 split."
Flagship community programming continues
Despite operating in the red, YBID continues to run a substantial portfolio of community and business enhancement initiatives in Yorkton:
- Exterior enhancement grants ($50,000): Matching grants provided directly to commercial property owners to upgrade building facades.
- Beautification and flower programs ($45,000 combined): The purchase, placement, and contractual watering of seasonal flower pots across the core area.
- Clean Sweep maintenance ($20,000): Contracted daily sidewalk cleaning and debris removal within the business zone.
- Santa Claus parade ($15,000): The district's marquee winter event, which successfully generated $20,000 in commercial sponsorship and event income last year.
- Community sponsorships ($10,000): Small-scale funding injections to support local non-profit events and organizational collaborations.
CultureFest begins to outgrow City Park
YBID's biggest summer initiative, the annual downtown CultureFest, returns this week. Running across four consecutive Thursdays in June, the multicultural celebration is experiencing rapid expansion.
"CultureFest has grown exponentially since the first years," Kitzan said. "It has just about outgrown its current location at City Park."
The weekly street festival highlights different demographic heritages through authentic regional foods, live musical showcases, games, and entertainment.
The CultureFest schedule includes:
- June 4: Celebrate Indigenous Culture
- June 11: Experience the Spirit of Ukraine
- June 18: Philippines Cultural Showcase and Vibrant India
- June 25: Jamaica Vibes and Youth Celebration Extravaganza
Kitzan and city administrative staff are expected to bring a formalized bylaw package and the revised cost-matching proposal back to a regular council meeting later this summer.
