You’re going to need 25 cents more to ride a city bus

City officials hope to collect $120,184 more each year from Sault Transit users, as they move to hike nearly 1,000 municipal user fees

New bus fares are expected to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025Photo by Issam Hajri, Pexels

Sault Transit users will be hardest hit by hundreds of user fee increases expected to be approved by city council next week.

Of $265,467 that the city hopes to earn next year from the fee hikes, $120,184 will come from users of transit services, many of them among Sault Ste. Marie's most vulnerable citizens.

The cash fare for a bus ride will rise 25 cents to $3.50.

Monthly passes will increase $2 for adults to $79, a loonie for seniors to $67, and 75 cents for youth to $34.25.

Monthly social equity passes for adults will cost $39.25, up 75 cents.

After Sault Transit, the second-largest beneficiary from the new user fees will be building inspections, which will collect $52,614 in additional revenues.

"Under the Municipal Act, section 391(1), municipalities have the authority to impose fees or charges for any activity or service that they provide," says Steve Facey, the city's manager of finance.

"User fees are one of the few controllable revenue sources that can reduce the reliance on property taxes. The rationale for user fees is that those who benefit from the service should be the ones to pay for it, which creates tax fairness and equity," Facey says in a report prepared for next week's city council meeting.

"All departments have reviewed their applicable user fees taking into consideration the recommended benchmark for cost recovery and the plan to achieve.

"Where applicable, departments applied a two per cent inflationary increase which is consistent with the inflationary factor that staff have used for the 2025 budget."

Here are some examples of expected increases, randomly selected by SooToday from approximately 1,000 proposed user fee hikes:

you'll need $5 more to get hitched, as the price of a marriage licence climbs to $150
a wedding ceremony and reception at the Bondar Pavilion will set you back $1,558, up from $1,527
a licence for an adult entertainment parlour will cost $2,270, $50 more than this year
a single-tank marina sewage pump-out will cost
$13.27, up from $12.83
renting an ice pad at Rhodes Arena or Northern Community Centre will cost $1,175, representing a $25 increase
the fee for a major clean-up of the downtown plaza will be $301, compared to $297 previously
if you only make a little mess at the plaza, you'll pay just $76.99
film crews will pay $1,500 a day to use the Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site. There was no charge previously
mailing of cremated remains inside Canada will rise to $94.69, from $92.92
permit for family fireworks will be $85.84, compared to $84.07 previously. $51.33 added for last-minute requests
permits for wind towers will cost $1,080, up $20
parking at a metered spot in the Queenstown or City Centre areas will cost $1.75 an hour, up 15 cents
one year of parking in a downtown lot will cost $550, up $10
tipping fee per tonne at the city landfill will be $92, an increase of $15
per-bag price to drop asbestos at the landfill will be up $10 to $60
price per bag for picking up excess residential waste will be $2.50, up from $2
designing of special flower beds on Bay Street and Pim Street will cost $176.99, increased from $172.57