City Mayors Push for Revenue Sharing This Fall
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Vol. 10 No. 5, November 2005 The newsletter of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association SUMA Publication Agreement No. 40027298 Inside this issue City mayors push for President Don Schlosser offers some thoughts on Revenue Sharing, and offers support on behalf of SUMA Revenue Sharing this fall members for their colleagues in Prince Albert. PA Mayor Don Stiglitz The case of the missing Revenue The bigger goal, beyond closing Municipal Rural Infrastructure makes it clear in an interview that Sharing funding was still high on the Revenue Sharing gap, is to Fund (MRIF) and the need to he’s optimistic about the future the agenda list for city mayors return to some annual “escalator” quickly access the announced of forestry in his city. Regina City and mangers at their Sept. 28-29 index, so that the size of the pool New Deal funding from federal Councilor and SUMA Board meetings in Swift Current. Their grows with the expansion of four gas taxes. The mayors also member Fred Clipsham offers news release and letter requesting provincial tax bases: personal and tackled the unfair 25% provincial a suggestion for an alternate use a meeting with Premier Lorne corporate income, vehicle fuel holdback fee for offenses ticketed for the pulp mill. Calvert gave further support to and other consumption subject by local police, the double- Continuing the positive theme, the SUMA-wide lobbying cam- to the provincial sales tax. These counted spring announcement of the Town of Craik is demonstrating paign to obtain at least $10 million goals were recorded in a unani- $25 million in federal funding for what is possible when you embrace more for urban municipalities this mously passed SUMA convention urban transit, and the interest in the right idea at the right time. fall. (A meeting with the Premier resolution last February. legislative amendments to permit has been tentatively set for a local hotel tax. SUMA’s annual Convention City mayors agreed to take back November 28.) is getting closer, and there’s to their councils, for adoption and An interest in controlling local information in this issue about A mid-year adjustment to the transmission to the provincial expenses also led to discussions the convention and expanded Revenue Sharing pool is expected government, another strongly about the need for further trade show. SUMA’s new Executive to correct the fact that no increase worded resolution on the return legislative protection against Director offers his observations from was included in the 2005 provin- to a true Revenue Sharing municipal liability, and imposed the most recent round of regional cial budget after three successive formula. It is also expected that costs resulting from fire and meetings, including the challenges years of modest increases. At a Review Committee under the policy service salary arbitrations. facing municipalities across the least an additional $10 million Municipal Forum will report by Concerns were also raised with province. He also has some first is expected for the 2006 budget, the end of November, confirming Corrections and Public Safety impressions on his new job. or a $20 million increase if there the ongoing need for uncondi- Minister Peter Prebble about the This issue also has short updates is no fall adjustment. These tional Revenue Sharing transfers. cost of possible new fire staffing on New Deal funding and efforts to increases would still leave the standards proposed by the Other revenue concerns discussed persuade the provincial government urban grant pool at less than the National Fire Protection Associ- with Government Relations to reduce the education tax burden total Revenue Sharing transfer ation (NFPA 1710 and 1720), Minister Len Taylor included the on property ratepayers. With a new achieved 20 years ago (without but the Minister committed to shifting rules for infrastructure session of the provincial Legislature adjusting for inflation). respecting “municipal terrain.” project approval under the beginning November 7 and the City mayors also confirmed at the province’s mid-year financial update meeting that they will be looking following soon after, things may have to SUMA Vice-President Phil changed by the time you read this! DeVos to serve as chairperson New Deal Update and spokesperson for their President’s Message . 2 The new secretariat established by Saskatchewan Government caucus, although other mayors • Relations to manage funding under the federal government’s will continue to host their semi- • Executive Director’s Column . 2 “New Deal for Cities and Communities” is now preparing to annual meetings on a rotating • Sustainable Living Project disburse funds to municipalities. Federal dollars were expected basis. Both SUMA and the Poised to Expand . 3 caucus have agreed, in principle, to reach the secretariat by November first, with the funding to • A look at SUMA’s Natural be paid out within 60 days. to committing more resources to Gas Savings Program . 3 preparing policy agendas and Kathy Rintoul, the director of the secretariat, told participants 2006 Convention and undertaking follow-up actions. • Trade Show . 4 at the SUMA regional meeting at Swift Current in October that What remains to be seen is municipalities must submit their Infrastructure Investment Plans whether the provincial govern- Prince Albert looking for • new forestry opportunities . 5 and then sign individual funding agreements with Government ment will also commit to Relations before the cheques go out. Rintoul stated that the secre- developing a coordinated “urban • UMAAS Update . 6 tariat will work with municipalities to facilitate the funding flow. agenda” rather than a piecemeal SUMA Advantage . 7 response to priority issues. • Education Property Tax Coalition Gathering Support A combined call by a coalition of provincial support to education Party Leader Brad Wall noted property tax is decades out of five Saskatchewan organizations to 45 per cent for 2005 and 2006. that his party had included a date and badly needs reform. for the provincial government to However, the spokespersons commitment to both short and The Association stated that the produce a plan for increased called on the province to continue long-term education property tax property tax is a larger cost funding for K-12 education over to provide more funding to raise relief in its 2004 policy renewal for businesses than even the the long term is gathering the province’s level of funding to package. corporate capital tax. additional support. The coalition, at least 50 per cent in 2006 and to “It is also the case that the consisting of the Provincial at least 60 per cent by 2008. Education continued on page 3 Calvert government raised the Association of Resort On the political front, the PST a year and a half ago, and Communities of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Liberal Party have already collected more than the Saskatchewan Association expressed its support for the enough to go beyond what they of Rural Municipalities, the coalition’s position later the same already committed to do in terms Saskatchewan Chamber of SUMA has a day. In a news release Saskatch- of property tax relief,” Wall Commerce, the Saskatchewan ewan Liberal Leader David observed in his letter. new address! School Boards Association and Karwacki said reform of the SUMA, made the call at a news In October the Saskatchewan SUMA’s offices are education portion of the property conference in late September. Real Estate Association also now located at: tax should be the number on tax Spokespersons at the news weighed in, stating that the next reform priority in the province. conference acknowledged that budget offers a rare opportunity 200 – 2222 – 13th Ave. the province has committed $110 In a letter to SUMA President to make a strategic change in Regina, SK S4P 3M7 million to increase the level of Don Schlosser Saskatchewan taxes. The SREA said the November 2005 The Voice of Saskatchewan Cities, Towns and Villages 1 the pulp and paper mill is sched- blessed with abundant sources of uled to close in the new year. feedstock for ethanol production. While this is a terrible blow for I hope that many more plants like the province’s third-largest city, the one in Weyburn will soon There are several topics I’d like their existing infrastructure Prince Albert Mayor Jim Stiglitz spring up around our province. to touch on in this issue of Urban without placing an even heavier expressed determination and As I write this, regional meetings Voice. With the provincial burden on their ratepayers. optimism in a telephone interview are being held in each each of Legislature re-convening about a day after the first meeting of the Many municipal Councils have eight regions. These Spring and a week before Urban Voice goes Task Force established by the provided copies to SUMA of the Fall regional meetings are impor- to press, some of my thoughts on provincial government to address letters they have sent to the tant events for SUMA members Revenue Sharing may be outdated the closure. Please read Mayor provincial government and their to share information and discuss by the time you read this. If so, Stiglitz’s comments elsewhere in local MLAs. Over and over again issues of concern on a regional that would be a good thing, Urban Voice. because as I write this we are still these letters convey a sense of basis. They also provide opportu- waiting to hear that the province optimism that communities are On a more positive note, I am nities for SUMA staff and repre- will provide an additional $10 ready to seize economic develop- delighted to report that Weyburn’s sentatives from the provincial million to urban municipalities ment opportunities, if they are new ethanol plant is now in government and other organi- in the current 2005-06 fiscal year.