Move 2020 provincial election dates, not municipal polls: Saskatoon mayor

SASKATOON Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark thinks holding the 2020 provincial and municipal elections days apart poses a problem, but he wants the provincial date to move.

The provincial Ministry of Government Relations has approached municipalities, including the City of Saskatoon, asking for input on moving the municipal election to Oct. 27, 2021.

That would extend the term of city and town councils and some rural municipality councils by one year, from four to five. The province’s 2020 municipal elections are scheduled for Oct. 28, five days before the Nov. 2 provincial election.

“It’s more common for the province to adjust its election dates historically and I think that the province should move their date,” Clark told reporters Thursday. “In my view, I would prefer that our municipal election stays the same. I got elected on a four-year mandate. That was what the citizens expect.”

The ministry confirmed it is consulting with municipalities and school boards on possible changes to the municipal election date, including the 2021 option. No decision has been made.

The conflict was created when the Saskatchewan Party bumped the fixed date provincial election from the fall of 2015 to April of 2016 to avoid competing with the last federal election.

The provincial fixed election law then reset the next provincial election date for Nov. 2, 2020. The province’s chief electoral officer identified the problem in April 2017 and recommended moving the provincial election to the spring of 2021.

The subsequent provincial election would then be held in the fall of 2025, separating the provincial and municipal cycles.

Clark agrees a long-term solution is needed for the competing elections, but said it’s far easier to move the provincial election, which involves fewer constituencies and candidates.

About 422 city and town councils and half of the province’s 296 rural municipalities are scheduled to vote in 2020. The other half of RMS are supposed to vote this year.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed through all the minority governments and other things in the past is municipal election dates,” Clark said. “They have stayed consistent. This is the first time I can remember there being a move to solve some of these problems by moving the municipal election.”

Gordon Barnhart, president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), said the organization that represents the province’s towns and cities is sticking to its previous recommendation to the province to keep the municipal election date as is.

Barnhart said many municipal politicians may only be prepared to serve until 2020, resulting in a rash of vacancies.

“That could lead to a whole lot of by-elections and that’s a lot of money,” Barnhart said in an interview on Thursday.

Barnhart said SUMA’S only other suggestion would be to move the municipal election ahead two to three weeks. Clark thinks they should be held months apart.

Saskatoon city council’s governance and priorities committee will consider the province’s suggestion to expand the municipal term to five years on Monday.

Clark said council may not opt for a formal resolution either in favour or against the 2021 election notion. The ministry has only asked for “comments” by Aug. 24.

“By getting this out there, we’re at least giving an opportunity for the public to be talking about it as well and for the politicians to hear and the decision makers provincially to hear from that,” Clark said. “We’re at the mercy of the province on this.”

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Igotelected on a four-year mandate. That was what the citizens expect.