Three Saskatoon mayoral candidates presented different visions on how to tackle homelessness, property taxes and a new downtown arena during a debate on the CBC show. Saskatoon Morning radio show Friday morning.

Cynthia Block, city councilor since 2016, Don Atchison, mayor from 2003 to 2016, and Gordon Wyant, who served on city council from 2003 to 2010 before becoming a Saskatchewan Party MLA and cabinet minister.

Mayoral candidate Cary Tarasoff declined the debate invitation and Mike Harder did not respond to CBC.

Homelessness

When it comes to addressing homelessness, Block said facilities need to be close to where services are located to help people transition, but residents and businesses need to be brought to the table with a working group.

“The problem is, no one wants it in their backyard,” she said, adding that the plan must be developed in partnership with the community and other levels of government.

“All the research shows that placing it on the outskirts never works… The model must be close to services, close to public transport.”

WATCH | Mayoral candidates agree that the Fairhaven shelter was a bad decision, but differ on the path forward:

Mayoral candidates agree Fairhaven shelter was a bad decision, but differ on path forward

All three candidates in the Saskatoon Morning mayoral debate Friday agreed that creating an emergency shelter in the Fairhaven neighborhood was not the right decision, but their arguments about what to do at place differed.

Wyant advocated a different tactic, saying abandoned homes and housing that is not fully utilized by the Saskatchewan Housing Corp. could be renovated and handed over to housing authorities that provide affordable housing.

“My plan is to bring this together with industry, education and government, to provide this type of housing,” Wyant said. “There are hundreds and hundreds of vacant and abandoned homes in the city. We can take advantage of that.”

Atchison said we need to categorize the homeless and place them in small homes on acres of city-owned land that are not in residential or commercial areas.

“It’s out in the open. The city has thousands of acres that could accommodate (these homes).”

Atchison cited the example of the Regional Psychiatric Center and the Saskatoon Correctional Center being built on vacant land, and then homes or businesses being built around them.

Crime

“As we spend 24 cents of every taxpayer dollar on policing, we clearly need to find a different approach,” Block said.

She said her plan would give police, fire and transit the resources they need today, but also build community safety from the ground up through neighborhood safety plans and businesses, as well as a reception center for young people open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Some of those would be new resources, new technologies… to make sure that we’re not only proactive but that we’re getting measurable results.”

WATCH | Atchison and Wyant call for more officers, Block wants proactive plans to reduce the need for law enforcement:

Atchison, Wyant call for more officers, Block wants proactive plans to reduce need for law enforcement

On the subject of crime, Don Atchison and Gord Wyant both said more police officers need to be hired immediately. Cynthia Block acknowledged the need for more patrols in the short term, but said she wants to develop proactive plans to reduce crime in the long term.

Wyant said he would increase police resources — technology and the number of officers — and decentralize policing.

He said he wants to “create more constituency offices in and around Saskatoon, where police work in their communities.”

Atchison wants more officers on the street, but said the idea of ​​adding more precincts would just mean more officers behind desks and not on the streets.

“These resources could be much better utilized by officers working on behalf of the citizens of Saskatoon.”

He said the number of officers per 100,000 residents has declined in recent years.

“We need to get officers back to actually talking to the public and dealing with them on an individual basis.”

Property taxes

Atchison said he would get a zero percent raise in his first year by freezing all city hiring except police and achieving $20 million in savings.

“We need to get back to basics: policing, water, wastewater, transportation,” Atchison said during the debate.

“For marginal articles, unfortunately, difficult decisions are going to be made.”

Block said she’s a strong advocate for basics like infrastructure, but a zero percent tax increase would mean giving up something on the services side.

“I would like an innovative approach on how to reduce the pressure on property taxes,” Block said. “We need innovative financing and procurement, working with other cities to reduce significant capital costs and calling for national leadership on national issues such as core funding for public transport. common.”

WATCH | Atchison promises zero property tax increase, Block warns of long-term spending cuts:

Atchison promises zero property tax increase, Block warns of long-term spending cuts

Candidates in the Saskatoon Morning mayoral debate were asked about future property tax increases. Gord Wyant pointed out current expenses that he believes the city should not pay for. Don Atchison says he wouldn’t raise taxes in his first year. Cynthia Block warned that current deep cuts could end up costing the city much more in the future.

Wyant said he would reduce next year’s property tax to 2 percent, from the current 6 percent, through efficiency gains and sticking to the basics.

“We need to look at what government’s essential services are and avoid taking up space that other governments should be responsible for,” Wyant said.

A new arena in downtown

Wyant said he favored more convention space at TCU Place, “but I do not support any further development in downtown Saskatoon, particularly regarding the ice rink, that would affect the rate per thousand.”

Wyant said the project has already affected the exchange rate in terms of taxes on downtown hotels.

“The funding model is flawed.”

Block said she, too, would say no to a new arena if it impacted property taxes, but that the overall project would have to move forward at some point.

“If we want a more efficient, more affordable and more sustainable city, we will want the downtown plan to move forward,” Block said.

“But if there is a funding gap in the funding model, I don’t think today is the day we need to worry about it. It will be years to come that we need to talk about, not Today.”

WATCH | The candidates discuss what the downtown arena will – and has – cost taxpayers:

Candidates discuss what the downtown arena will – and has – cost taxpayers

Candidates in Saskatoon’s mayoral debate Friday morning were all adamant that taxpayers should not foot the bill for a new downtown arena.

Atchison said he would vote no on a new downtown arena.

“Until you have a safe and secure downtown, it doesn’t matter what you do,” Atchison said.

“People don’t want to come downtown.”

He said the city faces “needs, not wants,” and that a new arena is not necessary.

Housing Acceleration Fund

Block said she supports what the city has done to access tens of millions of dollars from the federal Housing Acceleration Fund, “because it addresses the urgent problem of a lack of housing in a city that is growing faster than anywhere else in Canada.

But she said she would put in place incentives to maintain increased density near LINK transit lines.

“It’s not lost on me that this means an intrusion into neighborhoods that none of us want to make at this point in the city’s history,” she said.

“My plan will be to encourage mixed use directly along corridors and, in doing so, discourage its movement into neighborhoods.”

WATCH | Saskatoon mayoral candidates clash over Housing Acceleration Fund:

Saskatoon mayoral candidates clash over Housing Acceleration Fund

The federal Housing Acceleration Fund was a point of contention during the Saskatoon mayor’s debate morning Friday. Don Atchison and Gord Wyant opposed the program, although the city had already approved associated zoning changes.

Atchison said he was adamantly opposed to the accelerator fund.

“It’s a disaster for the city of Saskatoon,” he said.

Atchison said the board has dropped the ball in recent years.

“They didn’t have the vision, they didn’t have the foresight to see how the city was going to develop.”

Wyant said he supports greater density, but doesn’t want to “waste 120 years of planning for $41 million.”

He said other cities have seen lawsuits related to the accelerator fund and the same could happen in Saskatoon, costing the city money.

Civic elections will take place on November 13. Early voting is open November 1-4 at various locations from noon to 8 p.m. CST.

There will also be early voting for students at the University of Saskatchewan on November 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST and at Saskatchewan Polytechnic on November 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.