Mayor Kirk Cameron says the City of Whitehorse’s proposed 2026-28 operating budget – worth about $125.6 million – is focused on necessities as the city prepares to make tough choices.

During his budget speech Feb. 23, Cameron told city council that the city has limited resources to deliver programs and services that residents rely on and limited options to generate revenue.

Meanwhile, the mayor said the city needs more money to address a growing population in the Yukon capital city as infrastructure ages, territorial and federal funding dries up and costs go up across the board. He cited a recent housing needs assessment that suggests more than 3,000 new homes needed in Whitehorse over the next five years to keep up with population growth.

Cameron said water and sewer fees could go up eight per cent.

“To be blunt, we can no longer count on being able to access the necessary funding to address our largest infrastructure needs, both in the areas of capital and operations spending. Instead, we will have to weigh all our options to address our top priorities and will likely need to make some sacrifices to advance them,” Cameron said.

“Existing cost drivers, diminishing funding sources, strong population growth, and ongoing economic uncertainty leave no doubt that we need to be extremely vigilant when it comes to the budget. Simply put, there are no easy decisions.”

Cameron cited higher electricity costs that the city is facing as another pressing factor.

“To keep property taxes and service fees manageable for citizens we undertook a thorough and careful review of all expenses which I am sorry to say have resulted in real cuts,” he said.

He said the city is reducing the budget for training programs for staff and programs in multiple areas.

‘There are tough years ahead’

Cameron said the senior utility rebate will be cut in half as the number of recipients has gone up and the cost of the program has increased by almost 30 per cent. The city’s rebate to residents aged 65 and up (or surviving spouses who meet the program’s criteria) comes from fees paid to the city for water, sewer and curbside collection services, as noted on the city’s website.

Additionally, Cameron said the city plans to start “income testing” recipients of the senior utility rebate in 2027.

Short-term work with the territorial government will move forward the building of a new fire hall in Whistle Bend, Cameron said.

“There is little doubt, however, that there are tough years ahead. We will need to continue to look for efficiencies in subsequent budgets and the choices will often and only get more difficult,” he said.

The city is encouraging residents to call in, send an email or attend in person during a public input night on March 9.

That session will be summed up and reported to council on March 16, ahead of second and third readings of the operating budget later that month.