REGINA — The annual Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association convention is underway this week at the Bunge International Trade Centre, with the priorities of municipal leaders expected to be at the forefront.
Infrastructure, municipal revenue sharing and health-care needs are among the topics expected to be key issues at the convention, running from April 12 to 15.
Municipalities did receive more than $392 million in municipal revenue sharing from the federal government, but the costs of projects continue to rise, and municipalities have been seeking further support to fund them. Several municipal leaders were part of a provincial delegation to Ottawa last fall seeking more federal participation in infrastructure projects.
Delegates are expected to hear from Premier Scott Moe as well as Opposition Leader Carla Beck in speeches on Monday. Minister of Government Relations Eric Schmalz and federal Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger are also scheduled to speak.
Wednesday morning will feature the bearpit session with provincial cabinet ministers, with municipal leaders able to question ministers on issues important to their communities.
Whether there will be any major provincial announcements at the convention remains unclear, as most of the government’s spending plans and priorities have already been outlined in the provincial budget delivered by Finance Minister Jim Reiter in March.
Also expected to be a highlight is the resolution session. Among the resolutions up for debate and a vote are those on regional cost sharing, municipal transparency requirements, improving access to emergency care and compensation for fire departments, increased funding for local housing authorities, wildfire mitigation and research farm closures.
Also on the agenda is a City of Regina resolution calling for enhanced municipal revenue tools and fiscal fairness, and to enable municipalities to access alternative revenue options. That resolution also includes a call to remove the PST on construction. The resolution session is set for Monday afternoon.
SUMA has announced two keynote addresses as part of the convention this week. One will feature Warren Macdonald, who climbed Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain and later Mt. Kilimanjaro as a double amputee. Macdonald will speak during Monday's session on April 13.
The second keynote address takes place Tuesday, April 14 and features Dr. Jack Lucas, professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary and co-director of the Canadian Municipal Barometer. Lucas will provide an overview of the Canadian Municipal Barometer and share research and data in his presentation to the convention.
