Business Climate During COVID-19
We know that COVID-19 has hit most businesses hard across Saskatchewan. For many the road to recovery is still a long one.
We've surveyed our members nearly every week during the pandemic to find out what impact COVID-19 is having on businesses. Economic recovery must be a priority for municipal candidates on November 9.
Lower Municipal Taxes
Saskatchewan businesses continue paying more than their fair share of municipal taxes because the province’s largest municipalities levy an unfair property tax burden on businesses like yours. How is this fair?
We are calling on municipalities to narrow this gap and to stop your tax burden from growing by not adding new tax powers.
Construction Mitigation
Construction projects disrupt a lot of things: roads, walkways, bridges. We know they also disrupt your business’ operations by minimizing vehicle and foot traffic, and limiting customer exposure.
We are calling on candidates to create a detailed construction mitigation strategy to ensure the livelihood of small businesses is not put at jeopardy!
Limit Municipal Spending Growth
When municipalities fail to rein in spending, small businesses take a hit – and so do local economies. Local governments are spending faster than cities are growing, and you are footing the bill. We are urging municipal governments to limit annual operating spending growth to the rate of inflation plus population growth.
Reduce Red Tape
Did you know that red tape all levels of government cost Saskatchewan businesses $340 million in 2017 alone? To help cut municipal red tape, we are advocating to simplify business licenses. This could mean no annual fees and/or less administration! We are also encouraging municipalities to create an online platform where you can submit your red tape concerns.
Control Labour Costs
We know salaries make up the greatest operating expenditure for governments. Not only are public sector wages higher than private sector equivalents, they are also growing fast! The collective bargaining and arbitration process is contributing to this and hurting municipal governments’ finances. We are calling for a public sector wage freeze and a review of these flawed processes.
