SUMA annual convention opens in Regina

Hopeful urban municipalities ready to meet new premier, cabinet ministers

Past grievances and guarded optimism filled the halls of Regina’s Queensbury Convention Centre on Sunday, as representatives of Saskatchewan’s 458 urban municipalities prepared to meet members of the new provincial government.

The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) will host newly installed Premier Scott Moe and much of his cabinet at their annual convention, which runs from Sunday to Wednesday this week.

SUMA president Gordon Barnhart spent Sunday morning greeting administrators, councillors and mayors. He chatted with delegates from the Town of Kyle about the lasting impact of provincial cuts, which are still forcing municipalities to hike taxes or cut back on services.

“Who gets blamed?” Barnhart asked.

“We do,” answered one council member from the small southwest town.

That’s the common struggle facing all the delegates, whether they come from the Town of Kyle or the City of Regina. They have to replace roads, sewage systems and water pipes, but face an uphill battle getting residents to accept higher property taxes.

“We really want some help from the government,” Barnhart said. “There are the infrastructure grants coming through from the federal government, and hopefully they will be matched by the province.”

Two Regina city councillors join Barnhart on SUMA’s board of directors: Bob Hawkins and Mike O’Donnell. Infrastructure, they agree, will be at the forefront of this year’s convention.

“We need the province to give us a plan as to how those dollars will get to the municipalities,” Hawkins said, “because infrastructure, as you’ll hear from everyone, is a crying need.”

“We’ve been talking infrastructure for 10 years,” O’Donnell added. “I would like our government to rethink how much they ’re funding.”

Hawkins said he’s a natural optimist. But he isn’t expecting the province to reverse itself on the largest cuts — such as the massive hit cities took on grants-in-lieu payments. His plea is a simple one: just don’t let it get worse.

“I guess what I’m hoping not to hear is that there’s going to be any more cuts to our revenue sharing,” he said.

Moe is set to speak on Monday, followed by interim NDP leader Nicole Sarauer. Hawkins said he wants to see the new premier share a vision for the future of cities.

O’Donnell said the government needs to recognize that cities are the source of most new growth — and vital to Moe realizing his mandate.

He also plans to press the government on the urban highways program, another area where he doesn’t feel urban municipalities have gotten enough support. He called it one of his “pet peeves.”

Prince Albert Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky is peeved as well — over urban connectors, certainly, but also over much else. He said the province has “stolen” from cities, particularly through the cuts to grants-in-lieu.

“You want to talk about bullying, that’s classic bullying,” said Nowoselsky, who has run for the federal NDP.

“Be fair to the cities, that’s all we’re asking,” he said.

Nowoselsky doesn’t think he’ll hear much new in Moe’s speech.

“I listened to his winning speech, and he’s going to continue doing everything that Mr. Wall did,” he said.

“I don’t see nothing new on his platform.”

Laura Lomenda did see something new, and she hopes to see Moe follow through on it. The administrator for the Town of Kamsack,

Lomenda spent the Sunday noon hour waiting for an education session on solid waste. Kamsack, she said, is a town at risk of losing its landfill due to past provincial decisions.

“Scott Moe ran on a platform where they’re going to revisit that,” Lomenda said, “so I have my fingers crossed and I hope to bump into him in the bear pit sessions.”

If she does, she said she plans to hold him to his commitment.

Barnhart said Lomenda’s concerns are common to many towns. He thinks Moe and his ministers have come to listen.

“They ’re willing to talk to us,” he said. “We can’t ask for more.”

SUMA, he said, will keep pushing cabinet members to loop them into moves that could affect urban municipalities. With a new budget set for March, he doesn’t want to see any more surprises.

“We would really like the government to say, in advance, we’re looking at option A, B and C ... what do you think?” he said. “If we can help them see what our needs are, we’re hoping the budget will take that into account.”