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The City of Saskatoon will likely need to shell out at least $7.9 million more than it did last year to provide civic services — a move that would lead to a property tax increase of roughly four per cent.

Administrators shared a 2017 budget update with city council at a special meeting Monday morning. According to the update, which is a preliminary estimate that does not include extra costs the city will incur next year because of growth, the city will bring in $10 million more in 2017 compared to 2016, but will also need to spend $17.9 million more. That would be a 3.89 per cent property tax increase.

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The city’s revenue increase is not as high as it has been in the past because it’s getting less money from the provincial government than it did last year and because fewer new houses and businesses were built last year than in previous years.

“There’s some evidence there that the economic slowdown is going to create some future challenges for future councils and it’s going to be very important to be as thoughtful and as creative as we can in terms of managing future costs and future revenues,” councillor and mayoral candidate Charlie Clark said.