Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney looks back on 2017 as a positive one in terms of business growth in the city.
Maloney started with a nod to Save On Foods, which he said was a definite positive as another grocery store in Yorkton.
The same ownership is behind the just officially opened Pattison Ag in Yorkton, the John Deere dealership. Maloney said their arrival in the city and decision to build a new location was hugely positive.
“It shows the confidence they have in our agricultural marketplace,” he said.
Maloney said it reinforces that Yorkton is a key agricultural hub.
“We are the centre of the universe when it comes to agriculture,” he said, noting the continued growth of two canola crush facilities, Grain Millers oat processing, and TA Foods flax processing.
That processing has supported business developments including not just Pattison Ag, but a new Claas dealership and expanded Case IH dealership, said Maloney.
“Value-added in agriculture is a huge industry for the city,” he said.
Maloney said with that in mind a recent strategy planning session in terms of economic development determined to focus more of the City’s energy in the area of agriculture.
From a municipal perspective Maloney said the completion of the Dracup Avenue project was a definite highlight.
“For me having the Dracup project completed was a huge weight off my shoulders,” he said in a year-end interview with Yorkton This Week.
Maloney said the project is thought of as a concrete resurfacing, but added the key element is the drainage aspect of the project, underground pipes taller than a man designed to move rainwater north to alleviate part of the flooding issue the City has been working to mitigate.
The Mayor noted the project was one of the largest non-water and waste management project ever undertaken by the city.
The project, with a total cost of near $20 million is one that “had to be done,” said Maloney, noting the underground utilities “was 100-years old.”
The cost was also something that was covered by the City alone.
“There should have been some provincial or federal money,” said Maloney, who added they had to move forward without the participation of the senior levels of government.
Maloney said road work will also be a big part of 2018, including the likelihood of redoing half of Broadway Street. He said it will not be a complete reconstruction, but a lower cost “shave and pave.”
That will mean the substructure underground will remain antiquated, but the city can’t afford to take on a complete redo, said Maloney.
The past year was also notable for a City budget that saw taxes climb significantly, in large part because of funding reduction from the province.
In March the 2017 Provincial Budget was released and it was determined that the City of Yorkton was going to realize a loss in revenue close to $2.3 Million. On March 31, 2017 the Government did cap the loss of the payments in lieu to the City of Yorkton at 30 per cent of its municipal revenue sharing amount. This added about $734,000 back into the City of Yorkton budget.
Maloney said the 2018 City budget will not see another increase in the 10 per cent range.
“The budget is going to be tight,” he admitted, adding they have already began crunching numbers. “… Everything is under a microscope.”
And that process has a goal.
“We will not see the type of increase we did last year,” said Maloney, adding the exact numbers will be impacted by decisions at the provincial level.
Even with the amount of dollars flowing from the province, Maloney said the City “has to be responsible” recognizing “we can’t continue to pass on every hit we get.”
Maloney did add a warning that services could be on the line.
“We’re at the point any hit to our bottom line will result in fewer services,” he said.
