YORKTON — The City of Yorkton is proposing a 3.85 per cent tax increase for its 2026 budget with a focus on maintaining everyday services while continuing to address aging infrastructure.
The proposed increase is split between a 2.75 per cent rise for operating costs and a 1.10 per cent increase dedicated to the capital budget.
Under the proposal, the average residential homeowner would see an increase of about $7.60 per month or $91.20 for the year.
The operating budget covers the services residents interact with daily, including policing, road maintenance, snow removal, parks, recreation facilities and city administration.
For 2026, the city projects operating net revenues of $40,587,740 and net expenses of $40,586,988 with a projected surplus of $752.
The largest shares of the operating budget include:
| % of 2026 Budget | $ of 2026 Budget | ||
| RCMP | Operations | 15.36 | $6,234,161 |
| Public Works | Roads, Sidewalks, Street Lighting, Drainage, Snow Removal | 15.32 | $6,217,927 |
| Debt | Drainage, York Road, Recreation, City Ops Centre | 14.35 | $5,824,233 |
| Recreation and Community Services | Parks, Programming, Pathways, Horticulture, Ball Diamonds, Kinsmen Arena, Godfrey Dean, Gloria Hayden, Tourism, Library, Deer Park Golf Course, Cemetery, Soccer Fields, Transit | 10.57 | $4,290,045 |
| Capital Projects | Streets, Intersections, Drainage, Storm, Facilities, Parks, Equipment, Large Scale Infrastructure Improvements | 9.7 | $3,936,938 |
| Fire and Bylaw | Operations & Equipment | 8.96 | $3,636,594 |
| Gallagher Centre | Area, Curling Rink, Water Park, Flexi Hall, Convention Centre, Grounds and Buildings | 6.39 | $2,593,509 |
| Planning and Engineering | Building & Planning Services, Inspections, Traffic Control, Airport, Land Use, Economic Development, Management of Capital Projects | 6.38 | $2,589,450 |
| City Council | Advocacy, Grants/Rebates to organizations | 2.48 | $1,006,557 |
Administration notes that most operating increases are driven by wages, utilities, insurance and other unavoidable costs.
Public works sees the largest dollar increase, with more than $700,000 added to road resurfacing, drainage and sidewalk programs. Snow removal costs are also higher due to recent heavy winters and the city’s commitment to maintaining current service levels.
Transit services would see changes, with early morning weekday routes and Saturday service proposed to be scaled back due to low ridership. Access Transit services would not be affected.
As for the capital project, city administration is proposed over $12 million in additional projects with $6,025,000 in 2026 and $6,260,000 in 2027. Those projects are in addition to the already approved 2026 projects.
Major 2026 projects include fleet equipment replacements, pavement overlays, curb and sidewalk work, sewer system assessments and continued design work for the future Water Pollution Control Plant. Grant funding would support new emergency and outreach equipment for the fire department, while upgrades are planned at facilities such as the Gallagher Centre and the Ag Pavilion.
The largest capital commitments fall in 2027, highlighted by the North Development Transmission Main, a major water project designed to add redundancy to the system and support future residential and industrial growth. That project is contingent on grant funding and would be paid for through Water Works reserves.
Road infrastructure remains a key priority in both years, with millions allocated annually to pavement, drainage and sidewalk improvements. Additional funding is also proposed for facility repairs, parks amenities, a spray park at Tupper Park and an ice floor covering system at the Gallagher Centre to support winter events.
More information about the budget, including a detailed listing of capital projects can be found at www.yorkton.ca/budget.
The City encourages the public to review the budget and provide any comments or questions through the public review form available online, which will be open until January 20th.
