November 2006 SUMA Publication Agreement No
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The newsletter of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association Vol. 11 No. 5, November 2006 SUMA Publication Agreement No. 40027298 Inside this issue Campaign goes public Fall 2006 has been a season of transition for SUMA. With mu- Given the limited local tax base, the September 28 Municipal Fo- agreement on behalf of all cities, nicipal elections and regional the need for more municipal rum, Minister Van Mulligen gave towns and villages. SUMA expects committee selections, find out funding from the Province is no indication of progress on mu- that an appropriate level of political who made the cut! everpresent. Provincial revenue nicipal funding, so former SUMA will can produce a plan by the time has continuously increased, but President Don Schlosser served of the Annual Convention in Febru- SUMA moves forward with its beginning in 987, the Province notice that he would soon face a ary. municipal funding campaign. gradually starved urban munici- campaign unlike anything he had palities of funds as the needs ever seen. Significant challenges lie ahead. Mayor Allan Earle brings greet- and responsibilities offloaded Representatives from Govern- ings in his first message as Inter- to municipalities increased. It With a campaign mandate from its ment Relations are quite commit- im President. He shares a vision wasn’t until 2002 that the Prov- Board of Directors, SUMA posted ted to resolve upcoming municipal to build momentum on infrastruc- ince began to increase revenue a preview of its campaign messag- funding challenges but have not ture funding and revenue sharing sharing once again, but to date it es on its website, www.suma.org. yet recognized the infrastructure building into Convention. has done nothing to compensate The preview successfully caught deficit that accumulated during the cities, towns and villages for the the Provincial Government’s atten- lean years of the 990s. Since Government Relations unveils a “loss years.” Moreover, there is tion. Within a day of the posting, urban governments try to cope by new municipal awards program, no long-term plan for predictable Deputy Premier Clay Serby con- spending only what revenues they while the Saskatchewan Scrap funding. Frustrations over these tacted SUMA to request a meeting take in, the requests for an addi- Tire Corporation celebrates an two issues reached a boiling point with members of the SUMA Execu- tional $40 million each for revenue important milestone. this August at the City Mayors’ tive Committee. Although delayed sharing and infrastructure funding Caucus (CMC) meeting in Melfort to November 9, the meeting result- might seem astronomical to mem- UMAAS Director Debbie Machay and resonated across Saskatch- ed in an agreement to work with bers of government and Treasury shares some ideas on employee ewan cities, towns and villages. SUMA to negotiate a long-term Board. In fact, these amounts have retention. revenue sharing and infrastructure Continued on Page 2 The City Mayors’ Caucus served Stay tuned for a sneak preview notice to the Province indicating a Beginning in November, of this year’s SUMA Convention! September 25 deadline to share SUMA began placing some five-year targets to fix the messages in newspapers Campaign goes public “fiscal imbalance” between pro- across Saskatchewan. SUMA welcomes newcomers vincial resources and municipal Some ads addressed President’s Voice 2 needs. SUMA backed the CMC the fiscal imbalance be- Municipal Awards 3 request with a letter of support to tween the provincial and Members’ Voice 4 the Minister of Government Rela- municipal orders of gov- MLDP Update 4 tions that added an account of the ernment. This ad points 2006 election results 5 funding needs for towns and vil- out to the public that no Convention Update 7 lages. In total, SUMA requested portion of the fuel tax is SSTC on a roll 8 an extra $40 million for infrastruc- shared with municipali- Administrators’ Voice 8 ture funding and an additional ties for the maintenance Sask Crime Stoppers 9 $40 million in revenue sharing for of streets in cities, towns Managed hosting expands 0 each of the next five years. At and villages. SUMA welcomes newcomers The 2006 municipal elections and Regional Meetings provided Southwest: Mayor Sandy Larson brought some major changes the first glimpse of the new face of West Central: Mayor Al Heron amongst the SUMA Board of SUMA. Directors and membership (see The Newly Elected Workshop fea- page 4-5 for municipal election With the exception of the West tured a video of a typical council results). Central meeting in Kerrobert, meeting to demonstrate the pro- which was hindered by icy driving tocol of the council decision mak- An Interim Executive Committee conditions, the meetings were well ing process. Afterward, mayors was appointed by the outgoing attended, averaging 80 people per and councillors worked in groups Board of Directors. Mayor Allan session. At this set of meetings, to tackle realistic municipal issues Earle has been promoted to In- members elected Regional Direc- to try their hand at drafting bylaws. Mayors and councillors in the terim President and continues his tors and sector representatives to The final segment of the workshop Southwest region elect a new role as Vice President for Towns. the Regional Committee. featured local lawyers, who pro- Director. Councillor Fred Clipsham was Central: Mayor Sharon Armstrong vided participants an overview of benefits for which councils are appointed Vice President for Cit- East Central: Councillor Randy legal considerations that elected eligible. As well, Cam Baker gave ies. Mayor Barry Gunther contin- Goulden officials must consider during their an overview of SUMA’s municipal ues as Vice President for Villag- Northeast: Mayor Roland Zimmer term of office. funding campaign. es, Resort Villages and Northern Northwest: Mayor Gordon Hall Communities. Southeast: Councillor Bill Ru- During the regional meeting, The Newly Elected Workshops dachyk Shauna Brown spoke about group The Voice of Cities, Towns and Villages President’s More orphaned underground fuel Voice storage tanks? First of all, if you are reading my the Province see that we are at a message, it’s a good sign that you breaking point. For years, munici- Please respond if your municipality has taken had a successful election - con- palities have been coping on such gratulations! Welcome to the new a limited base of funds, and we ownership of orphaned underground fuel stor- mayors and councillors that have cannot continue to shift the burden age tanks (e.g. abandoned gas stations) and stepped up to lead your commu- to our property taxpayers. nity. You are in good company. could benefit from Provincial funding for its Some of this nation’s finest lead- On a related note, I would like to clean-up. The program, which provided up to ers got their political start at the thank all the communities that $30,000 funding per site, ended a few years municipal level. Being a member have contributed to the campaign. of council is the ultimate commu- After receiving a significant amount ago but the Province is interested in hearing nity service, and I hope you will of support, we are ready to pull off whether there are enough sites posing a risk find your term rewarding. I look one dynamite campaign. Many of forward to meeting all of you. you will have seen the messages to warrant another program. that we ran in November in vari- As I begin my Interim Presiden- ous newspapers across Saskatch- Contact: cy, I offer my very best wishes to ewan. The key is to build momen- Don Schlosser as he enters re- tum into Convention in February. If Mervyn Norton the Province does not budge soon, tirement. Don has been a good 306-525-4388 friend and his leadership will be they are going to face a charged missed. delegation when they visit the [email protected] SUMA membership in February! The hot topic amongst the SUMA Board, Executive and staff has I am told that this will be my last been the highly anticipated rev- opportunity to address you before enue sharing and infrastructure Christmas. On behalf of the SUMA campaign. Officials have been Board of Directors and staff, I wish meeting regularly with represent- you a safe and cozy holiday sea- atives from the Province since our son. See you in the New Year! first meeting with Deputy Premier Serby and Minister Van Mulligen. Sincerely, We are working hard to keep Mayor Allan Earle up the political will and to make Dalmeny ...Campaign from page been suggested to compensate agenda for the 2007-08 provincial for past municipal struggles in or- budget, and to maintain political der to bring funding back to an ac- will on the part of the Province. It is ceptable level so that cities, towns the opinion of the Executive Com- and villages can provide adequate mittee and Board of Directors that services to their residents. With the best way to maintain political the legal requirement for munici- will is to engage the public through palities to balance their finances, an awareness campaign. This the drastic degree to which cities, way, the Association will honour towns and villages have been un- the many communities that have derfunded in the past is difficult for pledged over $30,000 (and grow- the untrained eye to detect. ing!) in support of a public aware- ness campaign. Round one of the SUMA moves forward in coopera- public awareness strategy began tion with the Province to resolve in late November with a series of municipal funding needs, but the messages in 5 different newspa- The partnership between the 13 Community Association remains commited to pers. Stay tuned... this is the most Futures offices in Saskatchewan and Western accountability.