As of January 1, increases in property taxes and fees are now in effect for Saskatoon.

A 3.7 property tax increase — voted through by city council in November — took effect when clock struck midnight, as did new recycling fees and water and wastewater bills.

The property tax was raised to accommodate increasing city staff and infrastructure costs, including eight new police officers who will patrol the upcoming supervised consumption site.

The new rate will also help pay for a new central library, worth $67.5 million, and a curbside organics program which was allocated $10 million.

The recycling program will now cost single households $7.38 a month and $3.71 for those in multi-unit buildings. Water and wastewater rates will go up by 4.1 per cent.

An increase in the federal carbon tax, which takes place on April 1, will affect SaskEnergy and Saskatoon Light and Power rates, the former of which is expected to increase by six per cent, according to SaskEnergy. The latter will increase by two per cent to 0.63 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

SaskPower has not announced if an increase will take place.

The federal carbon tax rebate will also increase for Saskatchewan residents. A family of four, which previously would have received $903 on their income tax return, will now receive $809.

The provincial government has appealed the implementation of the carbon tax and a hearing is scheduled for early in the new year.

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