Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney said there is some good news for the city amid the 2020-21 Estimates presented by provincial Finance Minister Donna Harpauer today.
The 2020-21 Estimates represent $14.15 billion of government expense through ministries and agencies, an increase of 3.1 per cent from 2019-20, which include important investments and spending increases in health care, education, social services and infrastructure.
Included in the health care spending is money that is a first step toward a new regional hospital in Yorkton, said Maloney.
In a conference call with Saskatchewan Minister of Health Jim Reiter, area MLA Warren Kaeding, and local MLA Greg Ottenbreit, and Ross Fisher of the Health Foundation, Maloney said they were informed “they (the province) will have $500,000 for new hospital preliminary planning.”
That is good news as it had been expected the municipality would need to help fund planning, he noted.
“As a Council we had set aside some money to help fund,” he said, adding the provincial money should fund what will “basically be a needs assessment.”
What sort of hospital the assessment will result in is an unknown, with the new facility in Moose Jaw coming in at $150 million with the budget for a planned facility in Prince Albert at $300 million.
Maloney said the City “will do our due diligence” to determine if the municipality “should be paying our fill 20 per cent,” in light of the funding to Prince Albert.
Maloney also noted the assessment does not mean a start to building locally anytime soon, estimating that “will be at least three or four years.”
But, the news of funds for a needs assessment is still positive for the local community.
Within the education envelop there is $750,000 for renovations at Yorkton Regional High School, continued Maloney.
“That’s a significant amount,” he said.
The previously announced turn lanes between Yorkton and Melville and Yorkton and Canora remain in the province’s plans, said Maloney.
Finally, while not specific to Yorkton, Maloney said the announcement of a rebate of the provincial sales tax on new homes is good news. He noted on a home of $350,000, a six per cent rebate is again significant ($10,500).
