2022 December

Saskatchewan’s municipal legislation does not allow a council member to be an employee of the municipality they have been elected to. This includes any controlled corporations, committees or business improvement districts established by the municipality.

A common source for discussion is whether volunteering for the municipality is the same as acting as an employee. Although volunteering is not defined in municipal legislation, if the work performed by a council member is normally done by a municipal employee, it would be considered acting as an employee, even if the position does not exist.

Council members are not prohibited from holding contracts with the municipality they are elected to. If this occurs, the council member must ensure the contract is identified on their public disclosure statement. The council member must also adhere to all conflict of interest requirements. Failure to do either are reasons for disqualification from council.

As elected officials, council members are responsible for developing and evaluating policies, services and programs of the municipality. They are also responsible to ensure administrative practices and procedures are in place to implement council decisions. A council member’s other responsibilities are:

• Represent the public and consider the well-being and interests of the municipality;
• Participate in council meetings and council committee meetings (and any other meetings of bodies that they are appointed to);
• Keep in confidence the matters discussed in private or to be discussed in private at a council or council committee meeting (closed session) until it is discussed at a meeting held in the public; and
• Maintain the municipality's financial integrity.

The council is the policymaker, and the municipality’s administration are the action takers. The municipality’s administration is responsible for ensuring council’s decisions are implemented by municipal staff. Although a council member may have the best intentions in volunteering a helping hand or providing their expertise, fulfilling work or services that typically would be performed by an actual employee contravenes municipal legislation. This volunteering could also have negative implications on the municipality’s insurance and Workers’ Compensation Board coverage if an accident were to occur.

As a part of a multi-year initiative to improve the property assessment appeals system, the Government of Saskatchewan has introduced:

• a new online training program for board of revision members and secretaries, and
• regulatory requirements for all boards of revision to be certified to hear property assessment appeals starting with the 2023 taxation year.

Board Certification

Municipalities are responsible for appointing a certified board before the assessment roll is prepared. Municipalities have the autonomy to choose which option is best for them:

1. to appoint their own local board of revision;
2. to appoint a district board of revision;
3. to contract a private service provider; or
4. to contract the new centralized board of revision.

For details on applying for certification for your local or district board of revision, visit Board of Revision Training and Certification and refer to the Board of Revision Certification Guide. You can also view the most current list of certified boards of revision in Saskatchewan.

Centralized Board of Revision

A centralized board was established to assist municipalities who cannot certify their board of revision. Using the centralized board of revision is optional for a municipality.

ADR Institute of Saskatchewan Inc. will serve as the centralized board of revision. ADR Institute is a non-profit and independent third party. To learn more about ADR, visit www.adrsaskatchewan.ca.

Municipalities wishing to appoint the centralized board of revision should contact ADR about its board of revision services, board members and their qualifications, and costs at the following:

• Email: cbor@adrsaskatchewan.ca
• Phone: 306-528-2131

Next Steps

Municipalities must notify the Ministry of Government Relations of the board of revision appointment by emailing a copy of the council resolution to the Registrar, Assessment Appeals, assessment.registrar@gov.sk.ca.

These improvements to the first level of the assessment appeal system will improve the quality of appeal services for Saskatchewan ratepayers and provide options to municipalities to meet their legislative requirements.

For More Information

For more information about boards of revision training and certification, contact the Ministry of Government Relations:

Policy and Program Services
Email: property.tax@gov.sk.ca
Mail: 15th Floor, 1855 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 3T2

The Community Planning branch launched Phase 1 of its Land Planning and Development application this fall. The application provides enhanced client services and moves toward an e-business approach for Saskatchewan’s citizens, developers, land investors and municipalities.

Municipal administrators, industry and the public can use the application now to submit subdivision applications. To help you use the new application, Community Planning created guides and how-to videos, available from the Land Planning and Development Application page.

Phase 2 of the application will allow municipalities to submit bylaws requiring ministerial approval through the application, such as Official Community Plans and amendments, Zoning Bylaws and amendments, municipal boundary changes, and more. Before Phase 2 is launched, the branch will receive feedback from a small working group of municipalities that will use the application. This feedback will allow Community Planning branch to tailor educational materials and guides to use these features.

Please note that Community Planning branch will continue to accept paper-based submissions if that is your preference.

If you need help using the online Land Planning and Development Application form, please contact the Community Planning branch:

Regina Office: 306-787-2725
Saskatoon Office: 306-933-6937
Email: communityplanning@gov.sk.ca

The 2022 financial statement template was emailed to your municipality in early December 2022. If you did not receive it, check your SPAM/JUNK folder. If you are unable to find the email, please email financialstatements@gov.sk.ca or you may download a copy from the ministry website.

Your municipality is required to submit a copy of the audited financial statement, auditor’s report, and management letter to financialstatements@gov.sk.ca on or before July 1, 2023, unless you are a city, then your due date is on or before September 1, 2023.

Your municipality must also submit a management letter for any controlled corporation.

If you have any questions regarding completing or submitting your financial statements, please email financialstatements@gov.sk.ca.

The 2022 Grant Confirmation Report will be emailed in mid-January 2023. The report will provide a detailed list of grant payments your municipality received in 2022 from the Municipal Infrastructure and Finance Branch. If you do not receive the email, please check your SPAM/JUNK folder.

A copy of this report can be sent to your auditor to verify the grant payments your municipality received.

If you have any questions about this report, please email financialstatements@gov.sk.ca.

The Minister of Government Relations has issued a Ministerial Interpretation of the National Building Code of Canada 2015 (NBC 2015) for childcare spaces.

The NBC 2015 is silent on the classification of buildings designed to provide childcare. To provide consistent application of the NBC 2015 throughout Saskatchewan, under this Interpretation:

• Childcare homes remain classified as residential occupancies; and
• Childcare facilities will be classified as assembly occupancies.

Consistent application of the NBC results in a uniform standard for childcare spaces in all municipalities.

Existing buildings throughout Saskatchewan classified as assembly occupancies (e.g. churches, schools, community halls, dance halls, gymnasiums and libraries) may serve multiple uses in a community, including the provision of childcare. Other buildings may also be cost-effectively converted to assembly occupancies for childcare.

The Ministerial Interpretation is in the Publications Centre.

For more information, contact Building and Technical Standards at 306-787-4113 or btstandards@gov.sk.ca.