2024 March
Municipalities Today is a web-based newsletter published monthly by the Ministry of Government Relations. It lists deadlines, training opportunities, services and programs that may be of interest to Saskatchewan municipal officials.
View past editions of Municipalities Today by visiting the Publications Centre.
1. Government of Saskatchewan's 2024-25 Budget
Saskatchewan's 2024-25 Provincial Budget will be handed down by the Honourable Donna Harpauer, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, on March 20, 2024, at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time.
The proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan are live streamed on television across the province through SaskTel Max and local cable companies, as well as online through the Legislative Assembly website. (Click on the “Watch the Legislative Assembly Live” icon.)
All documents related to the 2024-25 provincial budget will be posted to the Budget page on the provincial website shortly after the Finance Minister rises to table the budget.
2. Intake for the Targeted Sector Support Initiative Opens April 2
The Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative is a cost-shared grant program that uses a portion of Municipal Revenue Sharing ($1.5 million per fiscal year) to support projects that strengthen municipalities’ core operational capabilities through increased regional cooperation. These projects lead to more efficient and effective municipal service delivery and enhanced governance and administrative capacity in Saskatchewan. Partnering municipalities can apply for up to 75 per cent on eligible project costs to strengthen their core municipal responsibilities.
The initiative is managed by the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) on behalf of the TSS Steering Committee that consists of SUMA, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, New North and the Government of Saskatchewan.
TSS intake is scheduled to open Tuesday, April 2 and close Friday, June 7.
To learn more, please download this TSS fact sheet.
3. Construction Standards and Farm Buildings
Farm buildings are exempt from construction standards as referenced in The Building Code Regulations (the BC Regulations) and defined in The Construction Codes Act (the CC Act).
Any municipality may apply construction standards to farm buildings. The BC Regulations permits a municipality to declare that construction standards apply to farm buildings by including the necessary provisions in its building bylaw. The building bylaw should reference the National Farm Building Code of Canada 1995 and Part 2 of the National Building Code 2020, as the applicable standards for farm buildings.
However, if a municipality does not include provisions to apply construction standards to farm buildings in their building bylaw, farm buildings remain exempt under provisions of the CC Act and the BC Regulations.
A local authority may encourage owners to sign a farm building declaration form during the development permit process as a best practice to ensure the development meets the exemption as a farm building.
4. New Municipal Directory Launches this Spring
For more than 20 years, the Municipal Directory has been the source for contact information for Saskatchewan municipalities, whether it is to find out the phone number for their community’s office or name of elected officials or key municipal staff.
This legacy application will be retired later this spring. It will be replaced by a modern Municipal Directory featuring:
- Accessible and responsive design;
- Improved search functionality; and
- An easier way for municipalities to update their records.
To ensure we have the most current information for municipalities, the Ministry of Government Relations is asking administrators to review their records in the current Municipal Directory and make any required edits by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. The directory’s database will be pulled at that time to build the new application. Municipalities requiring edits to their record after April 9 will submit their edits to the ministry using a temporary form.
The ministry thanks you for your patience during this transition period.
5. Visit the Ministry’s Trade Show Booth at the SUMA Convention
The Ministry of Government Relations will have a trade show booth at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) 2024 Convention in Regina.
Ministry staff will be available to provide information about building standards, community infrastructure, municipal administration, community planning and Indigenous and northern relations.
Our booth, located in the International Trade Centre, will be open Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16.
Visit SUMA’s website for details about the 2024 SUMA Convention and Trade Show and to register.
6. Municipal Leadership Development Capacity Program – Upcoming Winter Modules
The Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDP) is a series of educational modules targeting important issues experienced by urban, rural and northern municipalities in Saskatchewan.
The program is designed for mayors, reeves, councillors, elected officials, and municipal staff who want to strengthen local government leadership.
MLDP program
The program consists of six modules offered three times a year: one in the fall and two in the winter. Modules can be taken in any order based on your schedule.
What you’ll learn
The MLDP modules address key local governance issues. Certificates are awarded after each module, and completing the entire program earns participants a full Certificate of Completion.
How to register
The winter sessions are scheduled for April 13, 2024. Visit mldp.ca for details about the program, modules, upcoming sessions, and for online registration. Space is limited; register today!