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SUMA President Breaksdown Budget 2026


It’s a provincial budget that highlights record investments—but also raises new questions about balance, fairness, and the future of municipal funding.


Today we turning our focus to Budget 2026–27 in Saskatchewan, and what it means for the communities that deliver the services people rely on every day.


At the centre of the conversation is Municipal Revenue Sharing—now at a record $392.4 million. It’s predictable, unconditional funding that helps municipalities maintain essential services like policing, fire protection, water systems, and recreation facilities. And while that investment is being welcomed, many say the reality on the ground is more complicated.


Municipalities are responsible for more than 60 percent of public infrastructure in Canada—but they’re being asked to do more with limited revenue tools, all while costs continue to rise. And for urban communities in particular, there are growing concerns about whether funding is keeping pace with demand.

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This year’s budget also brings renewed debate around how funding is distributed. Changes to programs like the Communities in Transition fund, along with longstanding disparities in areas like potash tax sharing, are raising concerns about whether urban municipalities are carrying a disproportionate share—despite serving residents from across surrounding regions.


There are also broader pressures at play—from healthcare infrastructure and housing, to mental health, addictions, and homelessness. While the province has made some targeted adjustments—like reducing municipal contributions for new healthcare facilities and introducing supports for vulnerable households—municipal leaders say more work is needed.


And through it all, one theme keeps coming up: collaboration. The need for municipalities—urban and rural—and the province to work together to find long-term, sustainable solutions.


Joining us today is Randy Goulden, President of Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, to share the municipal perspective on this year’s budget—what’s working, what’s not, and where the conversation needs to go next.


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This episode of Municipal Affairs was sponsored by: Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy


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